When All is Lost
by prima15
Summary: Hermione ran away from Hogwarts. A year later Draco Malfoy finds her pregnant and hurt and takes her under his care. Does he have ulterior motives? And which side is he really on? Sequel to 'A Day at Hogwarts'. Warning: strong violence, sensitive issues.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- Here's the sequel guys. Hope you like it and leave lots of reviews. I haven't completely decided on the plot so if you throw in some ideas, that would be great.**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

Hermione Ganger breathed in the air of freedom.

She stumbled through the forest holding her protruding belly. Pain shot through her seemingly slicing her very soul. She fought the darkness that was threatening to descend all around her, fought to hold on to her consciousness. Because even though fainting seemed like a very tempting option right now, she knew that if she gave in there was no waking up ever.

Her vision blurred. The world started spinning all around her. The weight in her stomach kept pulling her down and down making it impossible for her to breathe much less move. Every few minutes she screamed in agony as the piercing pain claimed her stomach.

From this endless abyss of agony, Hermione raised her eyes to catch a glimpse of a small cottage hidden between the dense forest of trees.

If only she could make it there.

Still struggling to focus, Hermione saw someone come out of the cottage. A figure in dark hooded cloak. She stifled a gasp. Another death eater.

She could not allow herself to be captured again. Not after barely escaping them. Panic rose within her.

Just as the hooded figure was about apparate, another intense contraction took her over and she could not stop the scream that ripped her throat. She slid down the tree she was leaning on to, knowing that her capture was inevitable now.

Even as she thought it, she saw the death eater approaching her hurriedly.

Merlin, why couldn't she just die? End all the torture once and for all.

Waves of pain racked her body once again and she finally gave in to the darkness.

He took in the horrendous state of the woman lying unconscious in front of him. She was deathly white. Every visible part of her skin was ripped and scarred, her robes torn, ragged and dirty. But his eyes held fixedly on her huge protruding belly that showed how far ahead she was in her pregnancy. He guessed about eight months or so. Her faced was bloodied beyond recognition but he would have known that bushy hair anywhere.

It was Hermione Ganger, the girl he had been looking for, for more then a year now.

He almost sagged under the relief that washed over him at finding her at last. He drew his wand out to leviate her up and apparate her back to his own place. And that very moment, her eyes fluttered open.

Her eyes glazed with pain and fright as she saw the towering black figure standing in front of her, his wand pointed directly at her. She fought down another scream of sheer terror. But instead of stunning her or throwing an unforgivable curse at her, the man slowly lifted her to her feet. There was no question of struggling. She had lost all desire to live. Hermione knew her death was nearing and in her situation it was welcoming even.

Seconds later she had been apparated into a house.

The uncomfortable sensation that came with apparition was too much for Hermione's already fragile state. She vomited and lost consciousness once again.

Once he had settled her down on a bed, he shook her slightly to wake her up. When that didn't work, he used his wand to sprinkle water on her face. She woke up at once clutching her stomach, gasping. Tremors ran through her body every few seconds.

With a start, he realized that the woman was in labor.

He breathed in deeply feeling the knots forming in him. Taking her to St. Mungo's was of course out of question. So he had to deliver the baby himself. He swallowed nervously. He _had _learned a fair amount of healing the past year and the time had apparently come to put his skills to use.

He leaned down and spoke to her urgently, holding her eyes in a steady gaze. "You have to do exactly as I say. We are going to get this baby out of you, okay?"

When she nodded, he moved to stand at the foot of the bed, preparing her and himself for the delivery.

Hours later, Hermione drowsily watched a screaming baby being tended to by the man. His face was still in the shadows of his hood. But those misty grey eyes, when they had looked upon her, had seemed strangely familiar.

The mysterious man then set the baby down beside her. She looked over at the tiny scrunched up face, into eyes that were twins of her own. And she felt months of bitterness, resentment and grudge melt away to be replaced by an almost painful warmth. Her baby. Her very own child.

Her gaze went back to the man who now had his back turned to her working on something she could not see. A sudden gust of wind blew in through the window causing his hood to fall back, revealing a head of silky silver blonde hair. The most perfect hair a man could possibly want.

Her breath caught in her throat. She knew only one person with hair like that. The person she hated most in her life.

H then turned on his feet to stare down at her.

"Daco Malfoy." She breathed.

Before the shock had completely registered in her brain, she found her senses seeping back into the world of darkness where no pain, no reality existed.

**A/N- Thank you for reading. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- Hello! Thank you for reviewing the previous chapter. No I will not tell you who the father is but I can assure you it is definitely not Ron. Hope you guys like this chapter also. **

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

The next few days passed in a blur.

Hermione was in and out of consciousness the whole time, her injuries taking longer time to heal than expected. Draco had been shocked at the extent of the injuries itself. He shuddered at the memory of her bleeding, black and blue body; the old wounds melding with the new ones in yellow and green so that her body was just a distorted array of colors.

Meanwhile the baby had been taking up all of his time, keeping him up most of the night with her cries. While she was mostly content to sleep beside her mother during the day, she got particularly difficult during the nights. And then of course there was the feeding and changing and many a time he had damned granger for quietly sleeping through it all.

Now, he stood leaning against the door watching the painfully sweet face of the baby girl sleeping peacefully beside her mother. And the mother's face? Oh so different the expression because even in sleep, Hermione's face was the picture of agony.

When she had run away from Hogwarts a year back, everyone assumed it was best for her. They had assumed that she was living among muggles and decided to let her be as she was safer in the muggle world than in the wizarding one, what with Voldemort after her and all. She just could not be tracked anywhere and nobody had questioned this, believing that she was hiding herself well. She was after all the smartest witch of her generation.

But the state Draco had found her in told a whole different story. _And_ _her being pregnant above all that,_ he thought worriedly.

Yes worrying about Hermione granger no longer bothered him. He had done enough of it over the past year. And he hated her for it. Even more than ever before.

He pushed his hair back from his forehead roughly, feeling the frustration well up in him once again as he wondered for the hundredth time who the father of Hermione's child was.

His mind was stuck in a loop. He was relieved that he had found Hermione at last. But what next? Was she still in some kind of danger? Where had she really been all these time?

As he contemplated over these facts, he decided it was time to inform the higher authorities.

***

The next morning, Hermione woke up to the sound of roaring waves. Sunlight streamed thorough the window beside the bed, momentarily blinding her with its intensity. She sat up carefully, sliding easily up the silk covers.

Her eyes took in the modest room, with its few delicate furnishings. Even though the room itself was small and fairly simple, signs of luxury and expensive taste were splashed here and there like in the silk bed sheets and the antique desk in one corner of the room. But it was the huge window beside her bed that was the true embellishment to the room.

She could see the sea outside, the never ending stretch of blue lost in the horizon. She could smell the salt and water in the air and she reveled in it. She reveled in the air of freedom.

"Well, look who's finally up! If it isn't my favorite mudblood back form the dead."

Her eyes flew to the source of the voice. She found him standing on the doorway cradling a baby in his arms.

For one moment all that her brain registered was a beautiful man holding a most adorable baby in his arms. For one second of pure bliss, she let herself believe that everything thing was perfect in her life. She had two most prefect people in her life and she could almost forget all the horrible things that had happened to her the past year.

Too bad the man was Draco Malfoy, the person partially responsible for everything that had happened to her. And the baby was…the baby was in the arms of this hated man!

Panic rose in her as she came to her senses and realized all the potential things Malfoy could do to her child.

"Malfoy," she hissed, narrowing her eyes dangerously at him. "Don't you dare do anything to my baby! You give her to me at once."

His only response was his trademark smirk.

"Hello, Granger. And a good morning to you too."

When he saw her hands still balled up in fists, her muscles drawn taut over her face, he drew up a chair and sat in front of her.

"Relax Granger, you child has been with me for over two weeks now while you were unconscious." He said impatiently. "I would have harmed her by now if I really wanted to, wouldn't I, Granger?"

The baby seemed to like the sound of his deep, lazy voice because she smiled up at him, latching on to one of his fingers and holding on. Draco smiled in response, cooing back at her, all the sneer and mockery vanishing from his voice in an instant.

He pointed towards Hermione and said softly, "Baby girl, this is your mother. Granger, meet your daughter."

Hermione held her hand out wondering what in the world was happening. Was Malfoy really showing compassion or was her brain still fuzzy from sleeping for so long? She stopped thinking all together when he handed her daughter to her.

A tingling warmth seemed to enfold her heart, slowing spreading through every vein. "You are so tiny and perfect," she whispered to the baby in wonder. As if in reply, the baby cuddled closer to her, gurgling at her mother. A rush of motherly affection overwhelmed Hermione's senses and she hugged the baby to her chest, falling instantly in love with the bundle of perfection.

All too soon, she was brought back from the haze of emotions when she heard Malfoy clear his throat.

"I'll leave you two alone now." He said quietly. ,

And he was out, leaving Hermione wondering what reason Malfoy could possible have for taking her and her child under his care.

Or did he have something sinister planned for them?

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N- I hope you guys are still enjoying my little story. Jessierose85, your review gave me a wonderful idea. So thank you.**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

Malfoy came back an hour later with a fully loaded tray. He set it down on the bed in front of Hermione.

Hermione glanced quizzically at his closed off expression. Already, time seemed to have put a wall between herself and the past. It seemed like ages ago that she had kissed this man standing in front of her and he had kissed her back passionately.

And then he had humiliated her, causing her to ruin her own life with the drastic decision she had taken in the aftermath of the kiss.

Her life at Hogwarts now seemed as though it had been lived by someone else. Gone was the innocence, the hundred ambitions, the pride at being gifted with enormous brain power. It had all been an illusion because the past year had repeatedly proved to her that she was not as smart as people thought her to be.

She had expected her friendships with Ron and Harry at least to be real. But her best friends had apparently not cared enough to come looking for her at the darkest time of her life, Hermione thought bitterly.

"Eat granger. It's not poisoned." Malfoy quipped.

Handing her daughter reluctantly to Mafoy, she tucked in on the food, realizing just how hungry she was. She hadn't had a proper meal in seriously long time.

"Have you thought of a name for the baby, Granger?" Malfoy asked.

Something twitched in her heart, an age old dream from that forgotten life. She remembered that her mother had always wanted another child after Hermione and she had even had a name picked out. But fate had other plans. Five months into her mother's second pregnancy, complications arose and the baby was lost in a miscarriage. Hermione had decided then that if she ever had a daughter, she would name it after her unborn sister.

"Ameera." Hermione said solemnly. "She is Ameera Jane Granger."

Malfoy looked satisfied. "She is going to be beautiful, you know."

Hermione noticed that Malfoy seemed unusually taken with her baby. The boy she remembered from school would have been scared to no end at being thrown into taking care of a newborn. He would have left the baby screaming and uncared for, evil being that he was. But the man in front of her was almost doting on the baby and Hermione just could not figure out why.

Se finished her meal silently as the restlessness continued to build up in her.

"Why am I here, Malfoy?" she asked quietly.

Malfoy looked up from the gurgling baby, a sneer instantly falling into place as he regarded her.

"I saved your stinking life, Granger. And I am providing you shelter in my house. What more do you need to know?"

"But why in the world would you save me?"

He looked at her incredulously, "What Granger, you would rather die? I could do that you know, right now, avada kedavra you to hell and believe me when I say it would satisfy me _immensely._"

Hermione sat up straighter, "Exactly Malfoy! _You _are not _supposed _to save _me._ You think I am waste of space. Why are you still keeping me with you? Why aren't you handing me over already?"

He shrugged. "Because I am a gentleman, see."

Hermione snorted, "Yes, Malfoy, you will be one the day I marry a troll!"

"Really Granger, I had no idea!" he leaned towards her, his eyes glinting menacingly." You are surely not expecting to marry a decent _wizard_ with your pitiful looks, are you?"

"You are still an insufferable git, Malfoy!"

"And you are still ugly. Fat too!"

"Honestly Malfoy, are you that dense? I just gave birth to a child for god's sake! Forgive me if my body isn't up to your high standards." She said sarcastically.

Malfoy sniggered. "Granger, you are so delusional! I would rather fantasize about going near a hippogriff again before giving a shit to you ugly body."

"I would like to_ feed_ you to a hippogriff!" Hermione grumbled crossing her hand over her chest, huffing in annoyance.

"Oh Granger I know you want me," he said grinning evilly. "Too bad I don't like fat, mudblood girls."

"Go away, Malfoy you are giving me a headache."

"Fine."

The baby had fallen asleep in his arms as they were bickering. Malfoy gently handed Ameera back to her mother and turned to leave when Hermione stopped him.

"Hey wait…"

But Hermione completely forgot what she wanted to say because her eyes caught on something so amazing that she gasped in pleasure. Her wand. Lying on the antique desk she had noticed earlier. With a quick movement, she reached out for it when a protesting whimper brought her attention to her baby now squirming in her lap. Hermione hurriedly withdrew her hand to rock Ameera back to sleep.

That was all the delay Malfoy needed to snatch the wand and pocket it inside his robe beside his own wand. At her disappointed sigh, he flicked a lazy glance at her and drawled, "In time Granger, in time."

Hermione frowned. "How long do you plan on keeping me here?"

"That's not for me to decide. I have to wait for orders."

Hermione felt her heart sinking. She said bitterly, "Of course. So I suppose your death eater pals will be along shortly?"

He stared at her thoughtfully for several seconds.

"Why couldn't you just let me die Malfoy? Why did you bother saving my life?" Hermione bit out through clenched teeth.

He finally replied darkly, "I had my reasons Granger. Trust me I did."

Hermione knew all about those reasons. He wanted the same thing his fellow death eaters had wanted. Or rather Voldemort wanted. It was only a matter of time now before she was back at the hands of her torturers. Hermione shuddered. She would have to find a way out for her and her baby.

She would have to plan an escape once again.

***

Draco leaned back against the door outside Hermione's room and breathed in deeply. So she thought he was a death eater and that he would soon hand her over to voldemort. Draco almost laughed at the irony. Hermione Granger had no idea whatsoever what he actually was.

He went to his own room, sitting comfortably in front of the fire staring at the licking flames.

His guest was due to arrive any moment now.

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading. Now please review! And any guesses who the mysterious guest might be?**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N- A few things must be mentioned here. This story set in an alternate universe and it is compatible to the actual series only till book 5. We will disregard book 6 and 7 and assume that Dumbledore is still alive and Draco has not been branded. **

**I have a seriously wonderful beta now, jessierose85. I dedicate this chapter to her and hope that even though she is my beta now, she will continue reviewing the story. Thank you jessirose85!**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

Hermione knew she should be angry. She knew she should be frightened out of her wits at the prospect of her temporary lodging in the house of Draco Malfoy, presumably a death eater. She should demand answers, she should fight. A part of her wished desperately that she could feel those things right now. Anything other than this icy numbness that seemed to surround her heart. Her mind simply refused to react to her current circumstances. It seemed as if even her emotions had resigned to fate.

But the logical part of her brain welcomed this dysfunctional state. It allowed her to think clearly, to plan carefully the necessary steps. Hermione did not want her emotions to override her actions. It was the one thing she had learned from the past year. An irrational mind is the worst enemy.

And so Hermione had only one thing on her mind. Escape. She still could not quite figure out Malfoy. She knew that he had had critical involvement in her capture a year back. He had not denied when she had accused him of being a death eater. So why hadn't he handed her to Voldemort immediately after coming across her?

A flicker of doubt crossed her mind as she realized that she hadn't once seen Malfoy during the whole time of her imprisonment with the death eaters. Also he had taken great care of her and Ameera for the past two week. She knew because there had been moments when she would briefly wake up from her unconscious state and find him trying to soothe her baby's cries, gently rocking Ameera in his arms. She would feel him going over her face and hands with a wet cloth when she was feverish and hot. He was always there, concerned and watching.

But Hermione also understood that trusting this man would prove lethal. It was Draco Malfoy she was dealing with and there was absolutely no way of knowing how his mind worked.

She started pacing the room. _Why can't he just tell me what the heck is going on? _

Hermione decided not to take any more chances. She had to get out.

Cradling Ameera in her arms, she tiptoed downstairs to a dark hall room. She went to the front door, turned the lock and surprisingly found it open.

"What the hell are you doing, Granger?"

Hermione swiveled around hurriedly to find him standing directly in front of her. Stormy eyes filled with rage met with hers. She faced him defiantly.

"Malfoy, I want to get out of here. Now! Give me my wand and unlock this door."

"I am afraid I can't let you do that, Granger." He said calmly.

***

Draco cursed profusely under his breath. He could not believe his own stupidity, or rather Granger's. Hell, Granger was supposed to be smart. But the woman just didn't know what was good for her. Oh wait! There was the part where she thought he was death eater. Draco cursed again. And he had stupidly assumed that she would be too weak to get up from bed and would stay put in her room. He had apparently misjudged Hermione Granger's fiery strength and spirit.

He clasped her wrist tightly and started to pull her along with him but she refused to budge. Flames leaped in her eyes as she looked up at him.

"Let go of me, Malfoy." she gritted out. When he didn't flinch, she started to struggle, trying in vain to get her hand free from his grip. Her eyes flashed dangerously at him.

"Malfoy, I will not go back to those monsters," She cried. "They will kill me and my baby. They will torture me even more now because I escaped. You can't take me back to them!"

"Granger-

"No, Malfoy, you listen to me! You have no idea how many times they used the Cruciatus Curse on me, how many times they ripped my skin open just to watch my blood drip. I am surprised you never joined in the fun. Why? Did Voldemort send you on some other mission?"

"Granger, I am not-

"I know everything Malfoy. It was your job wasn't it, to get me out of Hogwarts right into the hands of those death eaters? You planned it beautifully didn't you? You knew exactly how to get to me. That's why you kissed me and called me a whore." Her voice had risen to a high pitch and tears blurred her eyes. Ameera started to wail at her mother's agitated state.

And then the fire in her seemed to burn down as quickly as it had started. The strength waned away once more. Draco stared into a tired face now, a face that had plain given up.

It hurt to know that he had done this to her.

"You have absolutely no idea, Malfoy, of how many times I was raped." It was the last aching whisper Hermione wrenched out before collapsing on the floor, breaking down completely.

"Merlin, no!"

Draco staggered against the wall and closed his eyes.

***

For Hermione, the numbness that she had been carrying in her heart for the last few months finally dissipated and now the intensity of the emotions locked up for so long wrecked havoc on her senses.

She held her daughter to her chest like a shield and let go.

***

The guilt that claimed Draco was unbearable. It threatened to consume him, send him over the edge. And he did the only thing he could.

He looked at her for a moment and then dropped down next to her pulling up his left sleeve.

Hermione stared at his hand for a long time. Finally, she reached out, running her fingers lightly over the unbranded skin. The drops of tears that feel on his arm were like acid. They burned like no dark mark ever could.

***

This was how Albus Dumbledore found them when he arrived by floo into Draco's bedroom and not finding him there, ventured out. From above the stairs, the old wizard regarded the scene thoughtfully with a twinkle in his eyes. Neither Draco nor Hermione seemed to notice his arrival. Dumbledore smiled to himself and went back into the room to wait for Draco.

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading. **

**scarlet witch extreme, I appreciated your review very much. It is really not possible to change the previous chapters now so I tried to twist the beginning of this story to explain why Hermione isn't as angry as she should be. Hope you liked it. To everyone else who reviewed, thank you guys so much. They mean a lot to me. **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N- Thank you for the wonderful reviews guys! Heidi191976, I loved your ideas and I will see how I can include them in the story. Thank you! Beta credit once again goes to the wonderful jessirose85. **

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

Draco took Hermione back to her room, both walking in silence. Hermione looked exhausted, ready to faint any second. He could clearly see that her physical recovery would take more time. As for the emotional, he was not too sure. Ameera was still crying and no matter how Hermione tried to soothe the baby, she just would not stop. Hermione sent a desperate look at Draco.

"I will take her. You should rest." he said, holding his hand out for the baby. Something unfurled in his chest at the thought that Hermione trusted him with her child if not anything else.

He quickly squelched down the feeling. It shouldn't mean anything to him. Hermione Granger had never meant anything to him and nether would she ever. Yes, she had undoubtedly been a large part of his life for more than a year now but all his emotion related to her came merely from a detached sense of duty.

At least that's what he wanted to believe. He absolutely refused to take into account the nights he had laid awake after she ran away, torturing himself with his own guilt wondering if she was safe or even alive, fighting principals and morals. He had been forced to rethink his whole take on life, the twisted beliefs and sensibilities that had been drilled to him since childhood by a death eater father.

After that kiss, he had been forced to really admit his feelings for the girl he had hated for more than half his life, a hate that had spurned from her beating him time after time at everything despite being a mudblood. For having the kind of friendship she had with Potter and Weasley, the kind he had craved for all his life. He had hated Hermione Granger for being superior to him when she was supposed to be inferior. She went against everything he had ever been taught.

And there had been other things. She was always so happy, so content with her place in the world, confident and smart. It was these which had finally brought him down. Fourth year. The shy smile as she came down the stairs like a princess in a dream.

From then on the conflict, the confusion and the denial built up in him into something phenomenal, increasing his hostility towards her even more for doing this to him. It had helped. As long as she didn't smile around him, he could safely go on hating her just for being Hermione Granger. Because after all the truth of the fact remained that she was a mudblood and he wanted nothing to do with her sort.

And then in the seventh year, his father set him on the job of luring her out of Hogwarts into the hands of death eaters because Voldemort wanted something from her. And he had jumped at the opportunity to prove to himself that he did not harbor any feelings for her other than pure loathing. He could definitely do this cold deed without a flinch.

But then she had to go and kiss him. And he had not felt dirtied by a mudblood's kiss. He had not felt disgusted. Rather, that one encounter with Hermione had been a breath of life to a man drowning in darkness.

She ran away that night and he had been left wondering whether the mudblood, pureblood crap his father spurted all his life actually had any point to it.

Draco took Ameera in his arms gently talking to her until her cries died down, all the while trying to quell down these thoughts in vain. Because now came the most painful part. Because after Hermione ran away, he had to watch his father pay for Draco's failure at a job given to him by Voldemort.

He clutched the baby even more firmly to his chest seeking comfort as the memories flooded his mind. Memories of holding his father's limp body just after Voldemort had killed Lucius and threatened to kill Narcissa too if Draco did not find Hermione Granger immediately.

"Malfoy, we need to talk." Hermione's soft, almost pleading voice pulled him out form his thoughts.

"I know, Granger. But not now! Too much has happened while you were not around. I will explain everything soon. I promise." He said. He laid Ameera down beside her. "I have some work I need to do. If you are hungry, feel free to go down to the kitchen and get something for yourself. There should be some bottles for Ameera and get something for me too while you are at it." he added with a sly grin.

Hermione huffed. Draco grinned even broadly.

***

"So you found her." Dumbledore greeted him as Draco as he entered the room.

Draco's expression betrayed no sign of surprise to see the old man sitting comfortable in front of the fire in his bedroom, drinking out of a goblet. Draco had long ago accepted that Albus Dumbledore could be a stealthy man.

"Yes, apparently I did." Draco said drawing up a chair opposite Dumbledore.

The tall wizard smiled and rubbed his hands together gleefully.

"Of course Draco, my child, I knew if any one could do it, it was you."

Draco raised an eyebrow, "well, sir, as I recall you did not seem too keen on my theory in the beginning." He knew he was being rude. But damn if the old man wasn't infuriating at times. Him and his twinkles.

But Dumbledore's amused expression never seemed to falter and he said ever so softly, "an old man's mistake child. But I have full trust in you now."

"Oh yeah well…I take it you saw the baby?"

"I did. She is beautiful. Just like her mother."

Draco sighed. Talking to Dumbledore was like talking to a sphinx. It was always reading between lines with this man. Draco proceeded to tell him the rest of the details about Hermione's current state.

After Draco had finished, Dumbledore peered over his half moon glasses thoughtfully. "Well, my boy, all I can say is that Miss Granger is battered but not broken yet. You have taken wonderful care of her and the child. And I must ask you to do so a little longer."

"What do you mean? Why cant's she just go back to living her life?" Draco said frowning.

"Draco, you and I both know what kind of danger she is in. It is crucial that no one know about her whereabouts. We will of course let some of her friends and family know where she is but she must remain in hiding."

"But why me sir? Why not Potter or the Weasleys?"

"Because Harry and Ron have enough to do at this moment. The Weasleys' place is packed with people from the Order now days." Dumbledore leaned forward, speaking urgently, "I request you, Draco, please let Hermione stay with you."

Draco stood up, going over to the window and closing his eyes tiredly. When he turned back to Dumbledore, unrecognizable emotions brimmed in his eyes as he cried out in frustration, "How can you still trust me? Knowing what I did. You know, I can hand her over to Voldemort. I could save my mother's life by doing that. How can you trust Hermione with me?"

Dumbledore put up a hand to silence him and said calmly, "Draco, your mother is absolutely safe. The Order is protecting her as best as possible. As for you, Draco, I trust you for the same reason I have trusted Severus for all these years. You will understand soon, child. So do you agree to let Hermione and Ameera intrude upon you for the time being?"

Draco shrugged. "Oh! Alright…fine."

Dumbledore nodded and smiled. "Very well then."

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading. So what did you think? **

**The expression 'Him and his twinkles' about Dumbledore was borrowed from Countess Black. Thank you Countess Black! **

**And please check out the new story of mine called 'I Hate to See You Cry' and let me know if it needs another chapter. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N- Nothing much to say. Just glad you guys are still liking my story! **

**Many thanks to the wonderful jessierose85 for betaing.**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

The next morning, Hermione was up early, bustling around the kitchen with a happy Ameera cradled in her arms. Draco came down at the breakfast table, sleepy eyed and mumbled something at her which she guessed to be something equivalent to a good morning. He wore only a pair of cotton pants, his chest bare and his hair in messy tangles.

Hermione felt her breath hitch in her throat at the sight of him.

"Coffee?" she asked smiling at his disheveled state. It was hard to believe that Draco Malfoy, who never had one hair out of place, could look so downright adorable in his rumpled state.

He mumbled again and Hermione took it as a yes.

"Dumbledore was here yesterday." He said munching on a piece of toast. Ameera gurgled at the sound of his voice and stretched her arms out at him sweetly.

Hermione frowned, handing Ameera to him and pouring him coffee. "Is that right? Why didn't he come up to see me?"

Draco shrugged. "He said he had some important business. He'll come by later this week. He asked you to stay here with me for the present."

"And you are all right with that, Malfoy?"

"I can live with it if you agree on making me breakfast every morning." He closed his eyes, leaning back against the chair, smiling softly with Ameera cradled snugly in the crook of his arms.

The effect was so absolutely devastating that Hermione wanted to step back. His face was like a distant beautiful valley which had grown more approachable and more enchanting the moment the sun came out. She could not take her eyes away from him. In his relaxed and open mood, he seemed like a stranger to her without the usual sneer and mockery. Her eyes roamed over his pale face, the smooth, chiseled features to rest on his lips. Hermione chuckled softly. They were a girl's lips, soft and full and in a constant state of pout. But they definitely did not detract him from his manliness. It suited him downright.

And she also knew just how lethal those lips could be. She knew his kiss.

The laughter died down. Just like that, the happy bubble she had put herself inside when she had woken up this morning burst and reality crashed in on her once again. She was unceremoniously reminded of where she was and who she was with. It would not do to forget that the kiss they had shared once upon a time was a clear divider between her past life and her present. But it was also true that many a time, during her capture, she would pull out the memory of his kiss as the lingering trace of a life that had been quite full. She considered his insult just after the kiss as part of the other side of her divided life. The one she tried to block out as much as possible.

The truly good memories like that kiss, she knew, were to be tucked deep inside a corner of the heart only to be delved into during the darkest of times. But now, it was time for explanations.

***

Draco watched quietly as her face grew somber. He knew he could not put her off any longer and braced himself for her questions.

"Tell me everything, Malfoy."

"All right, Granger." He said leaning forward, "But I must warn you beforehand not to make any assumptions based on what you hear. Be patient. Things are not always as they appear to be at first. Agreed?

Hermione nodded and he continued.

"You see, on the summer of my seventh year…"

***

_Draco sat in front of his father, his mouth gaped open. The misty grey eyes that were usually chips of ice now blazed with shock, fury and bewilderment. _

"_You want me to befriend that mudblood filth, Granger? Have you completely lost your marbles, father?" he yelled, jumping up from the arm chair. _

"_Manners boy! Sit down." snarled Lucius Malfoy barely taking notice that Draco was now shaking with almost uncontrolled rage. With a lazy flick of his wand, he drew Draco's chair forward, knocking at his knees and making him tumble back on the seat. _

"_Draco, son, I have allowed you your childish outburst. Now listen very carefully to what I say." _

_Childish outburst? Draco could have strangled his father right then and there. After all the years of preaching that nothing that walked the earth was more soiled than mudbloods, his father now wanted him to befriend one? And on top of that, the one whose guts he had positively loathed with passion for the last six years._

_Regarding his son with cool eyes, Lucius continued. "As I was saying before your rude interruption, it is the command of the dark lord himself. He very recently found out that Potter has discovered the secrets to his immortality. And he needs us to help preserve his immortality."_

_Lucius Malfoy then proceeded to tell his son about horcruxes._

_Draco listened to his father with intense fascination. Tearing up souls. Preserving them outside of the body. Eternal life. He felt temptations rising, crawling up his heart feeding his hunger for the dark arts. This was magic beyond the realms. _

"…_and honor beyond your wildest imagination if you succeed, Draco." his father's drawling voice seemed to come from far away and he forced his attention back to Lucius when he clicked his tongue impatiently._

"_Draco, are you listening?"_

"_Sorry, Father can you repeat? I was still in shock over you telling me to be friends with a mudblood." _

"_Don't be so dense, Draco" Lucius said coldly. "I was saying that now that the Potter boy knows about the horcruxes, the dark lord wants to take further measures. He wants to make another horcrux, an absolutely indestructible and impenetrable one. And for this he needs a certain object. We believe the mudblood may have just the thing" _

_Draco balked at his father. "But, Father, how could Granger possibly have such a powerful object in her possession?" _

_Lucius held up a hand to silence him. ."You are head with Granger this year. You have the perfect opportunity to play with her, lure her out of Hogwarts. Dumbledore is guarding her closely, mind you, so we cannot do anything at the present. But you can while you are at Hogwarts. We will do the rest once we have her in our hands."_

_Draco noticed that all too suddenly, the senior Malfoy started to look strangely tired, his face drawn and hollow, muscles taut over his pointed features. _

_The lazy authority in his voice melded to one of strained dejection as he said, "Son, he blames me for the destruction of one of his horcruxes…His diary that I gave to the Weasley girl in your second year. He will kill us all if we fail at this Draco."_

_Lucius leaned forward and grasped Draco's hands, "and imagine the honor, the power that will be bestowed upon you."_

_Draco stared at the fire for a long time, the flickering flames dancing in his eyes. Not too long ago, he had ruled out Voldemort as a psychopath killer so he did not care about being honored by a mad man. But this was a fight for survival. During the fiasco at the Ministry in his fifth year, his father had been sent to Azkaban and only a few months back, Voldemort had given Lucius his freedom on the basis that he let Malfoy Manor be used as head quarters. Draco knew that Voldemort would be claiming the house soon. _

_Draco had this one chance to save his parents, his home. And a chance to show that Granger meant absolutely nothing to him. _

_He said to his father quietly, "I understand father. But you must tell me first, why Granger. How did she come by it?" _

_Lucius smiled grimly at his son, "there has never been a single witch or wizard in her entire blood line. Do you not wonder how she came by her powers?"_

_***_

Hermione listened to his tale in silence. Draco paused and got up to make more coffee for them.

"So what exactly was your father's theory about how I became a witch?" she asked.

"I think we should save the rest of the story for another time" he said, dumping a mug in front of her. "You are wearing my bathrobe" he pointed out.

Hermione flushed. "Well, I didn't quite bring any cloths with me, so…"

"So we need to go shopping", he completed.

"But aren't we supposed to be in hiding?"

"That's what disguises are for, mudblood dear." Draco said mischievously.

Hermione scowled, "don't call me that." She sipped on her coffee and grimaced. "Merlin, Malfoy, how much sugar did you put in this?"

"Three spoons. Why? I like my coffee sweet. Don't you?"

"No I don't. It's gross"

"Ah well." He stretched, lacing his fingers at the back of his head. Muscles rippled on his arms and Hermione gulped at the expanse of smooth skin before her.

Still scowling fiercely, she said, "Malfoy, go put some clothes on for Merlin's sake!"

"Stop whining, Granger. That's my territory.'

***

**A/N- So what did you think? Any guesses what the disguise will be? **

**Updates will be a bit slow now because my exams are coming up. But I will try to post a chapter each week. More memories coming up in the next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N- Hello! Thank you so much for the lovely reviews. You guys are the best! **

**Once again, a load of thanks to jessierose85. She is one fast beta! **

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

"You make an excellent lad, Granger"

"The blond bimbo look suits you, Malfoy. You look quite pretty."

They stood in front of a huge mirror in Draco's bedroom, scrutinizing themselves with laughing eyes. Draco has disguised them marvelously. A single tap with his wand here and there and he had transformed himself into a woman and Hermione into a man. Hermione was now a tall, muscular brunet with a heavy mustache while Draco was a slim, long haired blond who looked like a female model out of a fashion magazine. Hermione rolled her eyes at him. He just had to be beautiful even as a girl.

"We look bloody brilliant don't we, Granger." He said still admiring himself in the mirror.

"I'd say we do. Now stop twirling like a girl and let's go."

"Just perfecting the act Granger dear! Do you think I should grow my boobies a little bigger?"

"No, Malfoy, I think if you grow your boobies any bigger, you won't be able to see in front of you at all. You can barely see your feet as it is." Hermione said laughing.

"Granger, don't be mean just because you can only dream of having babies like these." Malfoy said gesturing at his chest.

"Oh shut up you prat." Hermione held out her arm for him, "now, shall we?"

Malfoy obediently took her arm with a shy smile, "of course, darling."

They apparated to Diagon Alley, deciding to pose as a married couple with a new born baby. Ameera seemed to have no problem with Draco and Hermione's reversed gender selves. She was quite content to lounge in their arms in turn.

It was close to mid day, the peak time for business in Diagon Alley, but the shops and streets were strangely bare and an eerie mist and darkness hung over the sky. People walked hurriedly in hushed silence. It had been like this for the last two years since Voldemort's return had been announced official. Hermione missed the sunny, crowded streets and the colorful stores. Many shops were closed down due to owners going missing. People hardly spared them a glance as they rushed by, and Hermione found Moody's "constant vigilance" drum in her head like mantra.

One look at Draco confirmed that, like Hermione, he too was feeling the impending sense of doom in the air. But he tried to make light of situation saying tersely, "Granger, this is the only chance you are ever going to get to rip me off my galleons. So make the most of it and hurry up please. I don't want to be Voldemort's food any time soon."

"Very big of you, Malfoy. Does this mean you still have your inheritance?" Hermione asked carefully.

"Yes, I believe I do." He was silent for a moment, and then continued softly, "it's a good thing that most of my father's dealings were with muggles. A death eater family does not fare too well these days in the Wizarding world."

Hermione sent him a shocked look, opening her mouth but unable to say anything. Lucius Malfoy associating with muggles? The very idea was preposterous.

Malfoy clicked his tongue impatiently, "cut the goldfish act, Granger. Stupid does _not_ suit you. Yes, _the_ Lucius Malfoy did do business with muggles. My father was a very clever man see? He always did what had to be done. This turned out well unlike his other acts as in, choosing Voldemort over his family." he said bitterly.

"He killed your father." Hermione said quietly.

"Yeah, he did." Hermione notice that his voice strangely lacked any kind of emotion as he said, "And now he is after my mum."

Hermione suddenly felt too frustrated with all the little snatches of information that he was providing. "Malfoy, will you just come out with the whole thing already for Merlin's sake?" she demanded heatedly.

"I said not today, Granger. We have shopping to do remember? Come on now, I know a shop for the best designer robes. If you're going to stay with me, your style has to be up to my standards."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

***

Despite his offer, Hermione refused to buy anything remotely expensive. She went into the moderate shops, insisting on bargaining for every product she bought. Draco was appalled, ushering her desperately to a corner claiming that Malfoys never bargained. They paid top galleons. Hermione consoled him in turn, saying that that the shop keepers didn't really know that a Malfoy was paying for the things.

Challenging Draco Malfoy was not really the best way to get what you wanted because, at the next shop, an irritated Draco left Hermione alone and took Ameera to the most famous baby shop in Diagon Alley. There he proceeded to buy designer baby cloths, gold rattles, the softest diapers, the trendiest stroller and etceteras. He felt that Ameera truly deserved the luxury because the poor baby had been wearing nothing but poorly transfigured items since her birth. Transfiguration was sadly never one of Draco's better subjects. McGonagall would never have much to do with him anyway and the old lady was quite intimidating.

Draco also went overboard and bought a beautiful, white, vintage sundress for Hermione with spaghetti straps and a black silk cloak with silver embroidery. He figured he would have some fun coaxing her to wear it. Or more like threatening and blackmailing.

Hermione bought a number of comfortable dresses and some simple sets of robes for herself and other home items. And books of course despite Draco hissing in her ears that he had a well stacked library at home but Hermione insisted that the books were newly published and she doubted he had any baby books in his stock. She was a new mother after all and she needed to study the subject to be good at it. She was absolutely bewildered at the amount of stuff that Draco had bought for Ameera. She had no idea about the dress yet.

Three hours later, they apparated back outside of Draco's house, Ameera lying happily in her new stroller. Hermione looked around her in awe, regarding the place for the first.

It was a small oval island, a grey, rocky, cliff rising from the middle, claiming more than three quarters of land. Dense forage of trees and bushes lay thickly on either side and the house was tucked under the very foot of the cliff. The island itself was a few feet above the sea, a rocky ledge guarding it against the rough waves. Wind swept over the island leaving a queer moaning sound in its trail.

"What is this place?" Hermione asked in wonder.

"It's an island off the north west coast of Wales. My father bought it for me as a seventeenth birthday present." Draco said.

As they walked up to the front door, Hermione asked, "Why are you living here? What happened to the Manor?"

"Oh, the Manor has been closed up temporarily by the Ministry." He said nonchalantly. "Voldemort was supposed to turn it into his headquarters, see. My mom is currently living with my aunt Andromeda."

"But I thought they weren't on very good terms."

He held the door open for her, saying dismissively, "Strange, the things you are forced to do when it comes to survival."

It was almost dark now. Clouds had gathered heavily in the western sky. Lightening slashed the horizon every once in a while. The wind had picked up violently. Hermione and Draco rushed inside as the first raindrops started to fall.

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading.**

**Sorry but no memories in this chapter. It would have been too long. **

**I have realized that the timeline for this story seems a bit confusing. But they will be sorted through the memories. So please wait for them. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N- Hello and happy reading people! And a happy one month anniversary to my story. Haha. **

**Thanks to jessirose85 (I got it right this time, Jessie, no 'e'!) for betaing. I say again, she is one fast beta!**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

Back inside the house, Malfoy tapped Hermione's body in various places and soon she was back to her self. Then he was changing himself and hanging up the wet robes. He followed Hermione to the living room muttering under his breath about how women's cloths were too damned hard to handle. Hermione smiled, sitting in front of the fire, setting Ameera on her lap. The baby looked at her with big, dreamy eyes and sent her a toothless grin. Draco spared Hermione a glance and instantly doubled up with laughter.

Hermione frowned and touched her face realizing that the git had left the moustache on her face. She flushed.

"Malfoy, you take this thing off my face right now!"

"Oh, Granger," he said in between laughter, "you look adorable. You could almost pass for pretty."

"Malfoy," Hermione said warningly.

He came towards her, still smiling. Oh wait, Draco Malfoy never smiled, he smirked, Hermione thought sarcastically refusing to think about how delicious that tingling laughter sounded and how gorgeous he looked. Her heart fluttered when he kneeled before her, resting his hands on her thighs. He touched her upper lip softly with the tip of his wand. The moustache disappeared instantly but his wand remained in place. Before Hermione knew what was happening, the wand was replaced by one long finger resting on her cheek and a thumb running slowly across her lower lip. There was a look of intense concentration in his eyes as he parted her lips with his finger ever so slightly.

Hermione could only stare at him for the longest time. Looking into the icy eyes, she was forced to accept that Draco Malfoy had come a long way from the pureblood bully from school. There was sadness, pain and bitterness hidden skillfully behind the cold eyes and the mean sneer. Oh he was till the Slytherin, secretive, manipulative, arrogant, lying scum. But he had allowed himself to explore beyond those traits and learned to make the best of them. She wondered what had driven him to do so. Her heart craved to know the true reason why he had kissed her back at Hogwarts.

But she also could not forget the fact that this very person had once considered her filthy, looked down on her very existence and thrown his hatred at her unashamedly. He had flinched visible every time she looked at him, had been disgusted by even an accidental touch. So why was he caressing her mouth now as if his next breath depended upon it?

She closed her eyes, loving the feel of the smooth fingers stroking her skin gently. How long had it been since a touch had felt so soft, so wonderful. The thought was obviously a mistake which Hermione realized instantly because the next thing she knew, the world started to close in her. His caress felt like one of the hundred blows upon her face, slashing against her skin painfully, one slap after another. She jerked her face away, clenching her eyes tightly against the invisible pain. Panic gripped her heart and she fought desperately for air. She fought for sanity. Fought against the urge to scream out in sheer terror.

Draco looked at her in horror, at the pure tortured look on her face. His fingers fell away from her face at once and he gently coaxed her to open her eyes. He wished she had kept them closed though, when he saw the raw fright in the honey depths.

"Shit. Granger, I am sorry. It's okay. It's just me. I won't hurt you." He said forcefully careful not to touch an inch of her skin.

"What are you doing, Malfoy?" she finally asked with a tremor in her voice.

He pulled away quickly, saying "you had something on your lips."

"Can I have my wand back now?" Hermione asked meekly, gathering herself again with visible effort.

"Promise you won't try to kill me?" he grinned, trying to divert her mind. When Hermione nodded, he said, "come on now, let's get dinner."

Back in her room, Hermione tried to understand what had happened. One moment it had been Draco touching her and it had felt so good and suddenly it had felt like she was back with death eaters again. She felt unnerved.

Hermione clutched the baby to her chest fiercely as the tears gathered in her eyes. Would her life ever be the same again? Draco's previous words reeled in her mind. Survival. It was the one thing they knew about almost too well.

She remembered the moment her life had really started to intertwine with his. She remembered the last journey to Hogwarts.

***

_The ride to Hogwarts was turning out to be a lonely one for Hermione. She sat alone in an empty compartment reminiscing about her first meeting with Ron and Harry six years ago. It had been one of the best days of her life. She chuckled softly at the memory of Ron trying to turn Scabbers yellow with a silly made up spell. She remembered Harry's thin face and starling eyes that hungered for friendship. And she felt as if the eleven year old Hermione had quietly slid into her place, on her first journey to Hogwarts. Not the last._

_Hermione wished for the millionth time that she could have gone with Harry and Ron to help search for the horcruxes. She could not understand Dumbledore's wish that she stayed at Hogwarts that year. He had almost pleaded with her in his letters over the summer saying that Hogwarts was the safest option for her. Hermione did know that this had something to do with the dream Harry had had back in the Burrow one night. He had refused to tell her about it, going straight to Dumbledore. Ron knew but no matter of coaxing, pleading or threatening him to tell her about the dream had worked. _

_Now all Hermione had to look forward to was a long year ahead without her friends and hard work for the NEWTS. The only bright thing was that she had been chosen head girl. After six years of craving the position, it had finally paid to be labeled the 'insufferable know- it- all'. _

_Of course it would have been much more pleasant if she had not had to share the position with her worst enemy. Draco Malfoy. Head boy. How could Dumbledore have allowed this knowing what his father was. _

_She watched the country flash by her, savoring each moment. The mist hung over the sky like an omen. Voldemort was now in full power and the darkness hanging over the sky was the only indication of something evil out their in the otherwise calm village._

_The door of the compartment slid open, jerking Hermione out of her thoughts. _

_Draco Malfoy walked in, looking down at her with his usual sneer, condescending authority in those mocking grey eyes. Hermione tried to wonder why half the girls in school found him so insanely irresistible and swooned in front of him. All she could see in that face was pale skin, unfeeling harsh eyes and a cold bloodedness that was so prominent in each and every one of his features that she just could not get past it. And an even closer look only served to remind her of the pathetic scared expression on his face when she had punched him back in the third year. He would forever remain to her just a twitchy little ferret._

_But then Malfoy had to bring her down from the pleasant memories. He smirked nastily and said, "You checking me out, now, are you, Granger?" _

_The laughter died in her throat in her and she said in a tone just as nasty as his smirk, "what do you want, Malfoy? Are you in need of mudblood germs again?"_

_He strutted to the seat opposite her and slumped down pinning her down with aggressive eyes._

"_Tradition, Granger," he spat "I cannot possibly start the term without our loving discussions on how much we hate each other."_

"_Well, Malfoy, you will just have to do without it," Hermione said dismissively holding a fat book up to her nose, "I am in no mood for a verbal battle with you." _

_He stood up then, towering over her. Hermione flinched. Didn't he use to be the same height as her? When had he gotten so big? Well, Ron and Harry had passed her in height ages ago. But she had never noticed Malfoy's. Of course not. It was not like she cared if Draco Malfoy was well over six foot and more intimidating than ever before. She gulped. She really did not care. _

_He pushed the book down from her face with a long finger and she was forced to look up at him. _

'_It doesn't have to be verbal always, you know." he said slowly. "It can be physical too"_

_Hermione gaped. What? Her mind screamed out but no sound came from her mouth. _

_Then the sneer was back in his voice and he said threateningly, "No pothead and weaselbee to look after you this year, Granger, I would watch out if I were you. Now get your arse down to the prefect's compartment. We are almost there."_

_And he was out with a swish of his robes. Hermione swallowed nervously. Did Draco Malfoy really flirt with her in one second and then threaten physical assault on her in the next?_

_***_

**A/N- Thank you for reading. Rest of the memory coming up in the next chapter which is half done already. **

**Go to my profile page and check out the banner made for the story. The chapter images are being done too. Have a nice day or night!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N- Hello. How did you like the banners and the chapter images, people? **

**Thanks again to my most patient and fast beta, jessirose85. **

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

I am not a perfect person,

There's many things I wish I didn't do…

_The train arrived at Hogwarts shortly. Hermione's heart warmed at the sight of the giant black glittering towers with a full moon shining brightly on top. They reached the castle by carriages and went up to the front door and into the great hall. _

_Hermione had never been used to much attention. That was strictly Harry's territory. So when the great hall erupted into a sudden buzz upon her entrance, Hermione was unpleasantly shocked. When she saw the person standing next to her, she deduced the reason behind the mutterings. _

_Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy were hardly seen together if not Hermione fending off Harry and Ron from a fight with Malfoy and his cronies. He could not bear to be within two feet from her but now they were almost touching shoulders. _

"_What are you doing, Malfoy?" Hermione asked through gritted teeth. _

"_Just being nice and accompanying the head girl," came his pat reply. "People have expectations, see."_

_Expectations my hat, thought Hermione. Hogwarts certainly did not expect them to change their attitudes towards each other just because their positions now forced them to spend a lot of time in each others company. So what was he really playing at? Why was he being a jerk one moment and acting nice in the next?_

_As Hermione approached the Gryffindor table, she caught snatches of conversation between Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown._

"_I bet you fifty galleons that something is going to happen between those two by the end of the year." commented Lavender gleefully._

_Parvati looked skeptical, "if they don't kill ach other first, that is. Honestly, how you expect those two to get along is beyond me. They must be the most infamous head boy and girl Hogwarts has yet seen." she said._

_Hermione realized with a start that they were talking about her and Malfoy. She had reached the table by then and unfortunately, the only seat left was beside the two gossipy girls. _

_As she took her seat beside them and tucked in on her food. Lavender turned to her and beamed, "Hermione, so you and Malfoy, huh?"_

_Hermione dropped her spoon and spluttered, "What?"_

"_I meant you and Malfoy, head boy and head girl." _

_Hermione sighed. It was going to be one long year._

_***_

Yes it all went perfectly with Malfoy's earlier story. Hermione had noticed the changes in him. She had suspected something was wrong but little had she known that Draco Malfoy had her life in his hands.

***

When Draco came in later to check on Hermione and Ameera, the sight which greeted him was one that made him ache with unknown emotions.

Hermione lay on her side, resting her hand on her wrist while the baby suckled softly on a creamy breast. There was something carnal about her feeding the baby that pulled at his heart. It made him crave for a child of his own, a wife, and a complete family for the first time in his life. And it scared him because he had never had needs as strong as these.

Hermione rose hurriedly upon seeing him, pulling up her bodice modestly. But Draco shook his head at her mumbling, "I will come back later," and left.

***

Draco was having a terrible morning. A muggle newspaper lay open at his feet where the headline said that a major company was well on its way down. Draco scowled hotly at the paper. It was a company where he had invested quite an amount a few months back. He would soon have to make a trip to Ireland.

He went down to the kitchen and by the look of it; Hermione too was having just as horrible a morning as he was. There were dark smudges around her eyes and her hair was pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head. She pointedly ignored his presence and went on banging dishes. Draco grinned. He knew that the baby had kept her up all night. He had wanted to go up and help but then thought that she needed to bond with her baby. After all he had done his fair share when she had been unconscious.

Tendril of dark curls hung from either side of her too thin face. Every few minutes she reached behind to knead the back of her neck. And Draco's hands itched to do the same, to run them over the smooth creamy skin, unknot the tired muscles and kiss them into relaxation. Draco shook his head in dejection. After what had happened yesterday, he would think twice about touching her again. He didn't know much about the after effects of rape but Hermione had suffered a pretty bad one. He felt a boiling rage build up in him towards the stranger who had done this to her. Instant remorse followed as he realized that it all came back to him. He was reason for everything bad that had ever happened to Hermione Granger. He closed his eyes painfully.

Man's past. Dangerous. Eruptive. A volcano, always on the brink, ready to get mingled with the present at the slightest nudge, seeking a chance to attack just when a person was at his most vulnerable. No matter how much Draco tried to forget, no matter how he strived to rectify the past, it hung on to him like death. All the memories, the mistakes, consumed him, engulfing him in a storm of fire. The flames keep licking away, burning the very soul. At moments like these, Draco did the only thing he was capable of. He turned off every emotion known to man. He froze himself to a living corpse.

***

Hermione noticed the change in him all to well. His eyes had gone all quiet.

"What's the matter, Malfoy?" she asked, not really expecting a true answer on his part.

"Trouble with business. Bad investment. I may have to go to Ireland today." He obliged noncommittally, careful not to meet her eyes.

"Draco Malfoy, after everything you have put me through, the least I can expect from you is a truthful answer!" Hermione demanded sternly. "And look at me when I speak to you please." she added.

When he did not reply, Hermione said in a gentler voice, "Malfoy, it helps to share. Trust me."

He finally raised stormy, tortured eyes at her and said, "Do you hate me, Hermione?"

Hermione recoiled. This, she had not expected. She could have made a smart remark, laughed his question away. But something told her that he needed the truth. And the truth was that Hermione herself had asked herself the same question and hadn't been able to come up with an answer yet.

So she said, "I hated the boy you were, Malfoy. I hated you for your beliefs, your arrogance, and your superiority. And I also knew that it was not your fault. You were never really given a chance or a choice to be your true self. Your father molded you into his own person and you let him. So I felt sad for you. You had never seen goodness.

"But today I see a man who is trying to figure out himself for the first time in his life. There is nothing to overshadow him, nothing keeping him from what he wants to be. It's all about the choices you make now, Malfoy."

She paused, to let him take it all in and also let herself believe the words.

"But there's something else, Malfoy. The past cannot be changed. I cannot forget that I am where I am because of you, of the terrible choices you made in the past. It will take me time to get over that. It will take me time to accept you for who you are now."

She watched him stare at the ceiling for a long time, his hands folded under his chin in thought.

Hermione turned back to the dishes. Minutes passed. She did not dare to turn around to look at him. She almost thought that he had left the kitchen because not one sound did he utter.

Then she felt his presence right behind her, his hand gently turning her around to face him, cupping her cheeks.

"Can you ever forgive me?" he asked in a strangely thick voice.

Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat. "I have. But just maybe someday, I can learn to stop hating that boy." She moved his hands from her face, "Please don't touch me, Draco. I don't like being touched anymore."

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading. Please review!**

**So what did you think of Draco in this chapter? Did I do him justice? **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N- Hello! Ninety nine reviews…You guys…*does Phoebe impersonation*! Thank you so much. It means a lot to me. It's my birthday today *squeal* and I have an extra long chapter for you as a treat. Enjoy! **

**Once again, thanks to my wonderful beta, jessirose85. **

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

For the next one week, Hermione hardly saw Draco around. He went out of the house early in the morning and was back late at night. He occasionally came to check in on her and when he did, their few minutes of conversations were extremely polite and impersonal. Hermione was starting to get the impression that maybe he was trying to avoid her. She just didn't know why. Had her words affected him this much?

Draco always put up tons of charms and protective enchantments over the house when he left. Hermione knew for a fact that he even had to waste quite an amount of time breaking those to enter his own house when he came back at nights. So Hermione could hardly venture outside. She had nothing to do all day. Mornings were spent looking after Ameera's demands followed by naps in the afternoons, and poring over her new books in the evenings after she had put the baby to sleep. And she was quite content with this life because she had quite frankly had enough excitement over the years to last her for a lifetime. All because of one fateful day when Harry Potter had decided to save her life from a troll.

She was also a little glad that Draco kept out of her way these days because his presence only resulted in confusing her more and more. But she did wish Draco would let her go out to the garden at least.

At the end of the week, Dumbledore came to visit her. She was already waiting in Draco's room when he arrived, having received and owl that morning.

Dumbledore's expression upon seeing her was enough to bring tears in Hermione own eyes. He held out his hand, which Hermione gripped tightly as he said in a sad voice, "My dear child, forgive me!"

Hermione shook her head, "No sir, you gave me plenty of warnings. I should have heeded them. The fault is all mine."

It was true. Hermione could never dream of blaming this wonderful old wizard for anything. He had tried his best to protect her. She had just been too stubborn to appreciate it.

***

_On the second week of her return to Hogwarts, Dumbledore sent a message that he wanted to see her. Hermione skipped the transfiguration class and went to the seventh floor corridor where a single gargoyle stood against the wall. "Sherbet lemon," she said and stepped into the spiral staircase that led to Dumbledore's office._

_His eyes twinkled in greeting, "Ah, Miss Granger I have been expecting you."_

"_Good morning sir." She said politely. Hermione frowned slightly despite herself. She could not help her resentment towards Dumbledore for not letting her go with Harry and Ron. _

"_I see that you have yet to forgive me for breaking up the golden trio." Dumbledore sighed._

_When Hermione made no reply, only staring fixedly at her knees, Dumbledore leaned forward slightly. "Miss Granger, this explanation has been long over due. I must tell you that your life is in grave danger. Voldemort is after you."_

_She had expected this much but Hermione could not suppress the involuntary shiver that ran up her back at this direct piece of information. The Gryffindor in her refused to cower, though. This was nothing unexpected. She had always known the danger she was in just by being Harry Potter's friend. Hadn't she and Ron pledged to be with Harry through out? _

_She composed herself bravely. The headmaster was looking at her as though he could clearly see the battle going on inside Hermione. He said in a kind voice, "I assure you, Hermione, you are safe at Hogwarts under my protection."_

'_But why me, sir?" Hermione asked quietly. _

"_My child, Voldemort's priorities have shifted. He has further things to accomplish, before he goes after Harry, making an indestructible horcrux to be precise."_

_Hermione was confused. What did that have anything to do with her?_

_Dumbledore was still talking, "you will come to know of everything eventually. For now, I want you to be very careful. Trust no one. Be alert at all times."_

_And on that ominous note, the office door burst open and Draco Malfoy walked in. It took all of a fraction of a second for Dumbledore to revert the anxiousness in his voice to a cheerful welcome. _

"_Mr. Malfoy, please sit. It is now time to discuss a few head duties."_

_***_

"Now tell me Hermione, how much do you know?" asked Dumbledore, popping open two bottles of butter beer.

"Very little sir." Hermione replied cautiously, "form what you and Malfoy have told me till now; I am supposed to have something in my possession which apparently gave me my magical powers. And Voldemort wants it because this thing can be turned into an indestructible horcrux."

Dumbledore peered at her from behind his half moon glasses and smiled, "Precisely, Hermione. But this is where some background information is required, I believe.

"Genetics is an important factor when it comes to magic. The parents pass on their magic to their children through genes. Sometimes, when only one parent is a witch or a wizard, the child they produce may be a muggle because unfortunately, the gene of the non magic parent has been dominant. But the recessive gene of the magic parent remains within the child and chances are, this recessive gene will become a dominant one when a next generation child is born. That child will have magic in his blood."

Hermione listened with rapt attention, the bottle of butter beer that Dumbledore had offered earlier stood forgotten. She had read about genetics in muggle studies but she had never connected the concept of magic with genes before. Did this mean that there was a witch or wizard somewhere in her bloodline?

Dumbledore answered her unvoiced question, "No, my dear, you entire bloodline has absolutely no record of magical genes. And this is where things start getting complicated. We must now question how then, did you come by such brilliant magical abilities as yours?

"Legend has it that there exists an object, and immensely powerful one that is able to turn non magic blood to magical blood just by a simple touch. The only condition is that the blood has to that of a new born child's who is less than a minute old. And this object remains attached with the child throughout the rest of his life."

Hermione blanched, crying out in bewilderment, "But sir, this is outrageous. Then there would be more witches and wizards in the world than muggles!"

"Ah but, here comes the twist," Dumbledore continued softly. "You can imagine the fury of the pureblood wizards when they came to know of this blood changer. It was then that the whole battle of the blood began. The wizards of those times decided to find this lethal object and keep it in the possession of the oldest, most pure magical family of the time to ensure the purity of magical community. The last known possessor of the blood changer is assumed to be the Malfoys. But I happen to know that Abraxas Malfoy lost this object years ago and no one knows about its whereabouts now."

Hermione hear clenched painfully. Surely this did not mean what she was thinking. She said in a choking voice, "Sir, are you implying that-"

"- it is very much possible, Hermione that you came by your powers through this blood changer. Can you think of anything that you have had since your birth?"

***

Draco came home late at the night and went straight to the kitchen. He hadn't eaten all day and he was ravenous. He smiled tiredly as he saw the tray of food on the table kept warm by a heating charm. For the last one week, Hermione had not once failed to leave out a delicious meal waiting for him when he returned at night.

He quietly ate in the dark kitchen. When he had finished, he went out to the hall, where, around a corner, lay a cushioned window seat overlooking the rough sea outside. He stood staring at the dancing moon beams over the waves for a long while until a small sound made him turn around.

"Hi." Hermione whispered as she walked towards him, standing beside him to look out at the sea too.

"Hi." he said lamely.

"You look lonely." She pointed out.

He looked away from her quickly and said, "I am not lonely, Hermione. I like being alone."

"Everyone tries not to be lonely, Draco. But truth is, we can keep telling ourselves that we prefer being alone but the heart will remain empty. There is no denying that." She said quietly.

He didn't know what to say. He didn't have to say anything because Hermione then said, "So, I found out today why I am a witch. Mudblood has a whole new meaning for my case."

The lack of passion in her voice worried him. "Want to talk about it?" he asked.

"It's late. You must be tired. Maybe we can talk another time?" she said in that same dull voice.

He knew he shouldn't feel disappointed, _rejected_. But hell, he felt like a dog that had been kicked for no reason at all.

He turned to leave when a soft voice stopped him.

"Draco?"

He turned back. Big mistake. She looked like an angel, her dark silhouette haloed against the pale blue moonlight. His heart ached with longing.

"I changed my mind. Can we talk for a bit?"

Draco sighed in relief.

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading. Now please review! **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N- Please heed the warnings recently added to the summary. This chapter deals with strong violence and sensitive issues. **

**Thanks to jessirose85 for betaing. **

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

They talked late into the nigh, shielded by the darkness, accompanied by the occasional roaring wave of the sea. Draco listened quietly as Hermione told him all about the blood changer.

"So, how is it that the death eaters could not get it from you? Surely they searched your belongings and also raided your parents' home." He asked.

"Well, apparently, this changer shifts form when if goes to a new owner. It is visible to only the one whose blood it has changed. This is what they tortured me for," Hermione said darkly, hugging her knees closer to her chest, "they wanted to know if I had something that no one else could see. I knew nothing about this of course and I got so mad at their lunacy. I denied having anything of this sort and they didn't believe me."

"And were you telling the truth?" Draco asked carefully.

Hermione let out a frustrated breath. "I don't know, Malfoy! Dumbledore said it is quite possible that this thing is able to attach itself to bodies even, like a birth mark or a mole."

She was shivering, Draco noticed, and chewing on her lower lips desperately. The expression on her face told him that she was trying to block out something extremely painful.

He summoned a thin blanket which magically wrapped itself around Hermione's shoulders. She secured the blanket under her chin, sending him a trembling appreciative smile. As much as Draco wanted to tuck the cloth around her himself, he knew she would not thank him for it. And he did not think he could bear her to flinch at his touch one more time. He also just realized that he seemed to be taking advantage of every chance to touch her lately. This was not a good sign.

Not wanting to dwell on those dangerous thoughts, he said, "I remember you telling me once that it helps to share."

She stared into his eyes for the longest time, saying nothing. Draco did not dare to tear his own eyes away from her gaze. And he did not have to try too hard because her eyes itself had the potential to become an addiction, those honey tunnels flecked with dashes of gold. They had the power to make a man drown willingly into the swirl of emotions that was contained within those depths. He wondered what she saw in his eyes. Did she doubt his sincerity? She seemed to look inside his very soul. Was she trying to find out the truth?

Her gaze wandered away to hover somewhere around his shoulder. She swallowed once and started to speak.

It all seemed to pour out of her in a rush. "I was staying at a muggle inn down at London. Two days after running away, I realized I had made a huge mistake. I didn't want to go back to Hogwarts so I decided to find Harry and Ron to join them. Only, I had absolutely no idea where they were. I was too ashamed to go back to Hogwarts and face Dumbledore.

"That night when I was returning to the inn, I had this strange feeling that I was being followed. So I put up extra charms and protective spells around my room after coming back. It was the magic they traced. That's how they found me. I woke up in a dark room, a shack of some sort. I don't remember how I got there.

"The first thing they did to me was put a body binding curse on me and rip my clothes off. They…they went through my whole body, touching…everywhere," Hermione choked, "I couldn't do a thing…" Tears clogged her throat. She did not even notice when Draco took her hand in his and she gripped it tightly.

"There were three of them. They kept asking where it was. They kept trying all sorts of spells on my body and some of them hurt so bad…I realize now what they were trying to do. But at that time…" her voice trailed away as the tears started to fall freely from her eyes. Draco could only stare at her in utter horror.

He pulled her to him in a tight embrace. She froze instantly, struggling in his arms to break free but Draco held on. Her body went limp and she sagged against him, sobbing desperately into his chest. Tremor after tremor racked her body. Draco too, found himself panting as if he had run for miles. He stroked her unruly curls, caressed her back to sooth the trembling.

And the tirade did not stop here. When her cries had died down considerably, she continued in a thick voice, the sound muffled by his chest, "They were all wearing masks. I couldn't see their faces. When they were finished with me, they removed the body binding curse. Two of them left the room, but the last remained behind. He…he stood watching as I hastily started putting my clothes on. He went away but he came back later that night, when I was hoarse and drained from screaming and crying so much."

A chilling dread spread through Draco as he guessed what came next. He gave her a gentle squeeze, gathering her more closely to him and urged, "Then what happened?"

"Then?" Hermione produced a hollow laugh and said a little hysterically, "then he raped me, Malfoy. And he kept coming back night after night for more…"

The ice spread to his heart then. In that moment, Draco knew that even if Hermione forgave him for all his past mistakes, he would never be able to forgive himself for breaking her hear heart, her soul, for betraying the girl he loved.

And finally, he understood that his love would only make Hermione hate him even more. Because it was not his betrayal of her, but rather his feelings for her that resulted in all her pain and sufferings.

Unable to bear the self disgust that was spreading through him venomously by the second, he started to let go of her, needing to put some distance between them, from her warm scent, her softness, her tears. But Hermione clung to him, putting her arms around his neck, pressing her face into his neck.

"Hold me, Draco. Please. Don't let me go yet." She pleaded.

And Draco, selfish bastard that he was, held her to him. He knew that it was comforting a distressed woman that should be his first priority. Instead he fed on her cries because every drop she shed was a balm that soothed his own pain, replacing it with a hate directed to himself, a hate that he had never known for anyone else. Hate and anger were far better to deal with than the numbing pain which he was experiencing for the first time in his life on someone else's behalf. For a wild minute, he wished he was that boy again; the boy who felt almost nothing, who reveled in other's sufferings, who was only too ready to inflict pain upon others. But the past year had made him too much of a human. He could no longer revert himself back to that boy.

They sat embracing in the darkness for what seemed like hours, long after Hermione's cries had died down. Draco was increasingly becoming aware of the rise and fall of her breasts against his chest. His fingers itched to trace all the smooth pale skin that was within his touch. Her breath was hitting on a spot directly behind his ears. He could feel her lips on his neck, soft and full. Shots of electricity ran down his back. He could feel his heart speeding up.

He shifted slightly and Hermione looked up at his face. Her lips were parted, her eyes taking on a misty quality. The moonlight glistened on her skin, half her features thrown into shadows. Her eyes darkened ever so slightly as her gaze lingered over his mouth. Was she thinking about their kiss? He brought one hand up to trail a finger down her cheek. She closed her eyes.

"Draco?" she whispered.

"Yes,"

"Do you remember what you told me right after you kissed me back at Hogwarts?"

It was like being suddenly drenched by a bucket of ice cold water. Draco froze. She _was_ thinking about their kiss. But not the good parts.

"I remember." He said quietly.

"You said I was not the Gryffindor virgin that I pretended to be. That wasn't true, you know. You were the only boy ever to touch me like that."

Draco immediately felt ashamed that she felt the need to explain this to him, "I know Hermione; I didn't mean what I said. It's just that I was feeling so many things that I didn't want to. And, well, being an arse is my defense mechanism."

"What did you feel?" she inquired softly, her eyes round and expecting. He did not have the heart to lie to her. So he pulled her hand from between there bodies and placed it on his racing heart.

"This is what I felt," he whispered.

He watched the awe on her face as she stared at her own hand resting over his heart. Her lower lips quivered, making him ache to take that lip into his mouth. She leaned forward hesitantly. The thumping in his heart was getting almost painful now.

Then, all of a sudden the spell was broken. Loud cries from upstairs filled the night. They both rose hurriedly and ran to Ameera's room.

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading. Now please review! **

**The phrase 'it was not his betrayal of her, but rather his feelings for her that resulted in all her pain and sufferings' was borrowed from TheyCallMeCyclone. **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N- Hello! Hope you guys are still enjoying my little story.**

**Beta credits again go to the wonderful jessirose85**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

They stumbled into Ameera's room to find a dark figure disappear through the window, leaving the curtains billowing in his trail. Checking to see that Ameera was still in her crib, Draco sprinted out of the room and ran outside, wand ready.

Panting, he started thoroughly searching the ground for signs of the intruder, the tip pf his wand lighting up his way. He started beating through the bushes and racked his brains wondering how in the world someone was able to break through the hundred or so protective charms and enchantments that Dumbledore himself had helped to put all around the island.

He climbed up the cliff, next, and discovered a flattened patch of grass on the very top. The house was clearly visible for this place. He could see the light in Ameera's room and the shadow of Hermione pacing nervously. The intruder had certainly been watching from up here. For how long? Draco shuddered with a mixture of panic and anger. The cold night air whipped against his face. Stormy waves slapped the edge of the cliff rocks. The black sea stretched out for miles and miles to the horizon. It would be impossible to get to this island without the help of magic, so whoever had broken into the house was surely a witch or a wizard.

He went back to the house. Hermione was waiting for him at the front door clutching Ameera fiercely to her chest.

"Who was it? How did they get here?" she cried at once.

"I couldn't find him. Who ever it was had left the island." he said tiredly pulling a hand through his hair. He told her how the intruder had been watching from up the cliff. Hermione became even more frantic.

"Malfoy, we need to inform Dumbledore immediately!"

"Calm down, Granger, I promise I will send him an owl first thing in the morning."

So, they were back to Granger and Malfoy again. For some reason, this piqued him. And it did not help at all that Hermione kept on pressing and nagging.

"But what if he comes back again tonight? Malfoy, you told me this island was supposed to be safe! How the heck did someone break into in then?" she said angrily.

Draco was getting seriously pissed, "Granger, don't you think I am contemplating this right now?" he said in a barely controlled voice.

"Hmm, let me see if I can help. Maybe the intruder was receiving help from the _inside_?" Hermione snarled.

"And who are you suggesting, may I ask?" Draco asked his voice dangerously low and menacing.

"What else am I supposed to think, Malfoy?" Hermione was now yelling, "You obviously don't care that my daughter was just almost attacked. You are still a selfish bastard. You haven't changed a bit!"

"And you are still the most stubborn mudblood I have ever met!" Draco said furiously, "You just won't get it into that thick head of yours that I could have killed you both a long time back if I had wanted to. But I guess that god awful bush you call hair just repels logic, doesn't it? You don't trust me, Granger, that's your problem. You are more than welcome to get the hell out my house any time you want!"

"Oh I will, Malfoy! Just wait till morning."

"I will wait all right."

Draco stormed to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. He leaned heavily against the wall, panting. Why should it hurt so much to know that Hermione still didn't trust him? If she had just shut up for a bit, she would have realized how shit scared he was about Ameera, he thought, punching the wall in frustration, as if it was to blame. And he kept on punching until his hand was numb, until patches of his blood stained the wall, until he was forced to shut down all compassion to survive the night.

***

Had they really been embracing intimately only a while ago? Hermione asked herself as she slowly climbed up the stairs to her bedroom. A deep sadness now replaced the panic and fright she had been feeling moments ago. She knew she hadn't been fair to him. Till now, Draco had done nothing but taken care of her and her child. Yes he was a pain to live with but he had made sure she was safe. He had been more than cooperative. But fear made people do stupid things. Ameera's near attack had provoked her to put the blame on at least someone and she had victimized the first person available. She knew he loved her daughter. For some unfathomable reason Draco Malfoy did love her daughter a lot. He would never knowingly put Ameera in harms way.

But it was too late now. Draco had announced his decision and Hermione would have to leave in the morning. It was not only a matter of pride but also her and her daughter's safety. Maybe the Death Eaters were trying to get to her through her baby. She could not take that chance. If they had been able to break into the island once, they could surely do it again.

Ameera had fallen asleep again. As Hermione settled her daughter on the bed and kissed her forehead softly, she realized one thing. She would miss Malfoy. A lot.

She looked outside the window. The horizon was already starting to show a golden pink hue. There was no use going to sleep now. Hermione started gathering her things together and also Ameera's.

The day broke out dark, grey and dismal. When Hermione went down to the kitchen, there was no sign of Draco. His bedroom door was still shut and Hermione found that she just could not leave without saying goodbye.

Cradling Ameera securely in one arm, she slowly turned the lock to Draco's room and stepped inside on tiptoes. The room was dark, the curtains drawn tightly to keep out the dim daylight. Draco was slumped; face down on the bed, his features thrown in shadows. As Hermione inched closer, she noticed that his hair was wet and he was wearing only a towel that rode low on his waist. He had obviously taken a shower not long ago but why had he gone back to bed than, Hermione thought worriedly. She crouched down beside him cautiously and felt his forehead.

He was burning up with fever, Hermione realized with a start. He mumbled incoherently when he felt her hand on him. Hermione remembered with a pang that he had gone out in the night without a cloak or any warm cloth. The chill had caught him properly. All thoughts of leaving flew out of Hermione's mind as she hurried to cover him up properly and rushed downstairs to make him the necessary potions for fever and cold. When she came back, Hermione saw that he was shivering underneath the blankets, talking deliriously in his sleep. She sat on the bed beside him and fed him the potions. His restlessness seemed to cease and the shivering went down considerably. Hermione started rubbing his cold hands with her warm ones. After a long while, when she was sure that the potions were working, Hermione slipped her hand from his and started to get up from the bed to leave.

A hand clutched her wrist form behind. Hermione turned back to see Draco gazing at her through red shot, half closed eyes.

"Don't go. Hermione. Please..." he whispered brokenly.

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading! Please review guys. Your comments are my inspiration. **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N- Hello!**

**Loads of thanks to my wonderful beta jessirose85.**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

_Darkness. Death. Survival. Only terrified screams of his mother shattered the deathly silent night. _

"_Crucio!" _

_Narcissa's screams were joined by his father's and another new sound. A high pitched cold laughter. The night echoed with perverse glee from the man who reveled in torturing another man. _

_His father lay in a heap on the floor twitching in mindless agony. His mother was tied to the pillar wailing pitifully for her husband in pain._

"_Silencio!"_

_Now, it was her eyes that bulged with silent screams. And Draco, free and unbounded and armed could do nothing. Some unknown force was telling him that the deaths would only come sooner for his parents if he reacted. _

"_See, Draco, what happens to those who fail lord Voldemort?" a voice hissed in his ears._

_Someone please come, please, he thought frantically. Dumbledore must have noticed he was gone. Please let Dumbledore come. _

"_Lord Voldemort is merciful. You are just a mere boy, Draco Malfoy. You will be spared. But you must be punished."_

_Please no…_

"_Avada kedevra."_

_A whooshing speed. Green light. Lucius' lifeless body. Narcissa's dead eyes that looked at her husband numbly._

_The cold laughter rang out again. A swish of robes…_

_Draco fell over his father's body. His mother slowly slid down the wall on the floor in a dead faint. _

"_No. Father. NO!"_

_***_

"Draco!" a voice cried. "Draco, wake up!"

Through the darkness and agony, he heard the woman's voice. He could feel the cold sweat of fear, taste the terror. In the midst, he felt cool, firm hands grip his shoulder; he could hear a low, husky voice calling him away from the nightmare. With all his strength, he clung to the voice, knowing on some deep survival level that she could save him from the tragedy unfolding before his tightly shut eyes.

His breath was coming out in ragged gasps and sweat rolled down his temples. Blindly, he reached out to grab the steady hand on his shoulder, to follow the voice of the woman who soothed his raw state. With a groan, he buried his face against her breasts, holding her as if to release her would plunge him back to the hell.

"It's all right, all right," Hermione crooned, stroking his damp hair.

He needed to feel. Something. Anything other than this terror. In one motion, he released Hermione enough to capture her soft mouth. Covering her lips, he took them, hard and deep. He needed to feel her warmth, her body, feel her responding to him. Her scent filled his senses, overriding the fear. He felt her moan, the soft sound vibrating through him erasing some of the nightmarish past that still clutched at him.

She was kissing him back with fervor. Mindlessly, he tugged at the strap of her thin nightgown, hearing the fabric give away as he frantically searched and found her exposed breasts. Tearing his lips away from her mouth, he settled it over her hardened nipples, suckling there. He heard her cry out, a cry of pure please and felt her press against him.

Fierce desire welled up in him, erasing the nightmare once and for all. He pushed the nightgown away from her body, needing to feel her naked warm skin against him. When she was underneath him, he finally opened his eyes and stared at the vision. She was flushed to the neck, her lips full and parted from his onslaught. Long lashes of her closed eyes fringed her cheeks.

"Hermione," he moaned, sliding his hand down her slightly rounded belly to rest on the side of her waist, "open your eyes."

At once, she stiffened. He heard her gasp out his name, the single sound holding an edge of terror. Her fear snapped him out of his state of insanity. She lay stiffly in his arms, shoving frantically against his chest to push him away. He took his hand away from her waist and helped her up to a sitting position. To his astonishment, she crawled away from him, curling into a protective position, arms wrapped around her to hide her nakedness. She huddled, wildness in her eyes, her back pressed against the headboard.

Draco pulled a blanket and wrapped it around her. He did not apologize. Even the thought of offering her an apology left a bitter taste in his mouth. There was no way he could ever make up for the way he had just taken advantage of a traumatized woman.

He watched as Hermione silently got up and walked away to her bedroom, her head lowered to her chest.

***

He was feeling a lot better today. A little warm and sniffled maybe but good considering that he hadn't slept at all last night. He went down to the kitchen, expecting to find Hermione making breakfast. There was toast and eggs on a plate but where was Hermione?

Munching on a piece of toast, Draco strolled out to the parlor. His jaws hardened when he saw Hermione come down the stairs, her bags packed, both her and Ameera dressed for leaving. When she saw him, she hastily stammered, "I – I am sorry. I hoped to be gone before you woke up…"

He came to stand directly in front of the stairs, "Going somewhere, Granger?" he asked in a deadly calm voice.

"You told me to leave your house, remember?"

He noticed that her eyes were gazing at anything and everything but him. He crossed his arms over his chest firmly, standing with his legs a few feet apart, "I changed my mind. You are not going anywhere." he said with finality.

To his surprise, Hermione laughed out loud. He sent her a confused look, "that sentence was funny because…?"

"Malfoy, you look just like a bouncer outside a bar! You even used the same dialogue that one used on me last summer. The guy just wouldn't let me in!" she said between chuckles.

"Good thing he didn't!" Draco growled.

Inside, a warm glow filled his heart. This was what amazed him about Hermione, her unpredictability. One could never know what she would say or act next. She could shift mood like a chameleon changed colors. He had been ready for another almighty fight and she was giving him laughter.

Her eyes became somber again and she said seriously, "Draco, let me go. This is not working out. This place is no longer safe. I can't bear if anything happens to Ameera and I know Voldemort will try to use my daughter to get to me."

"And what are you planning to do exactly, Granger?"

She looked at him thoughtfully for some time before replying, "I think I will go some where abroad, far away from Voldemort, from all these darkness. I will raise Ameera as a normal child without magic. I will go back to being a muggle."

"Do you really think that this will stop Voldemort from coming after you?" he spat harshly.

"For Merlin's sake Hermione! This is Voldemort we are talking about," Draco said impatiently when Hermione made no reply; "he won't give up on what he wants that easily. We have to fight dammit!"

"What about my daughter then, Draco?" she whispered.

"I promise I will keep her safe. We don't have to stay here any more. Dumbledore will arrange something for us. Hermione, I care…" she would probably run out the door in a jiffy if he said her name so he said the next closest truth, "I care about Ameera, a lot. Trust me on this."

"Last night…" she started.

"Last night, my past started an insanity and your past ended it. It won't happen again." he assured.

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N- My damn yahoo mail is not working! Thanks to jessirose85 for brtaing and for going through all the extra trouble. **

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

It was two days later.

She stood on the sand looking out to the sea, the March wind tucking her robes around her legs, whipping strands of hair across her cheeks.

Hermione was in another world. Body, braced against the cold, she shivered form time to time but she didn't move either to seek warmth or to escape the threat of the pounding surf. Hermione had fallen victim to the sea.

So when she noticed Draco standing directly before her, she sucked in a breath and pressed a hand to her chest.

"Where were you?" he asked quietly.

"Miles away," she said. "I am not sure what happened. One minute I was here, and then…"

"The ocean has a way of doing that. Of transporting your mind from one place to another." He cleared his throat, "first it lures you by the sense of freedom. In no time you are caught, laid open and exposed."

His voice lowered as he studied her face carefully, "Falling victim to the sea means baring one's soul. It can be painful."

For a minute they simply looked at one another.

"That evaluation was worthy of Dumbledore, Draco Malfoy," Hermione said at last, smiling softly.

He smirked, "Oh, I can be deep, Granger. Now buck up, we need to get moving."

"Malfoy, are you sure about this?" Hermione asked looking skeptical.

"Dumbledore seems to be sure enough," he said shrugging. "The Manor is being heavily watched by the Ministry, see, after I disclosed that Voldemort could use it as his headquarters. He would be mad to try and break into it. The Manor is the safest option right now for us. No one will know we are living in there except for a few selected people."

Hermione jumped when warm fingers brushed a strand of hair form her mouth and her eyes flew to Draco's.

"Your cheeks are getting wind burned," he explained, cupping her cheeks and rubbing them in his hands.

Hermione shivered and this time it had nothing to do with the cold. She finally admitted to herself that she was not only completely and utterly attracted to this man, but she had come to care for him as well. She tried to decide when it had happened and found that somewhere along the line of enmity, confused passion and living together in the face of danger, she had given a piece of her heart to Draco Malfoy. And there was no taking it back.

They walked back to the house silently. Picking up their belongings that they had packed earlier, Draco and Hermione then went into Ameera's room.

"Isn't she the sweetest baby ever?" Draco gushed, leaning on the doorpost and staring at Ameera's sleeping face.

Hermione smiled. Ameera did look just like a little baby doll with her dark curls, chubby cheeks and dimples. Right now, she had her thumb in her mouth, making little cooing sounds in her sleep.

"You know, Malfoy, when I was pregnant, I loathed her. I loathed having a child of a death eater inside me," Hermione said her smile fading. "It was like a constant reminder of all those months of torture. The night I first realized that I was carrying a baby, I felt so contaminated, I wanted to get rid of it so badly…" her voice trailed away sadly, "But now that I look at her, I hate myself for ever hating her. She is the only reason I find the strength to go through all these. She has no one and that's why I have to survive no matter what"

"We _will_ survive this, Granger. Voldemort will be defeated and soon." He assured.

Hermione nodded uncertainly.

"Oh, and Granger, did you notice, we keep switching between first name and last name. Will you decide once and for all what we should call each other?"

"Well you are Draco when you are nice, Malfoy when you are a prat and Draco Malfoy when you go all silent and moody," Hermione tucked her tongue inside her cheek, "it's really up to your behavior, see?"

"Then, I will just call you mudblood all the time, shall I?"

"Shut up, you pureblood snob. Let's get breakfast now so that Ameera can sleep a little longer. She was being such a baby last night…"

***

"Alright, Granger, you and Ameera take that room on the North wing, and I will take this opposite room. And we will be using only the attached kitchen and parlor in my room. Rest of the house off limits and no owl posts from this place, understood?"

"Wow, your room has an attached kitchen? How come?

"Because my room has always been like an own private apartment. I don't think I have ever actually set foot in that kitchen but my father used to think I should grow up with a sense of independency."

"Um, alright."

Draco pushed a door open and dumped Hermione and Ameera's things in the room and proceed to do the same thing with his own stuff in the opposite room.

The house was giving him the creeps. Making his way upstairs, earlier, he had ruthlessly avoided looking at the main living room where Voldemort had killed his father. All the furniture was draped in white cloths and the place had become filthy in months. He wondered how his mother would react when she saw her once spotless and beyond well groomed house in this state.

"Can I use the library, at least?" Hermione called from her room.

"Oh yeah! That's a must!" he said trying in vain to make the socurgifying spell work and missing Dobby a lot at the moment, "We need to find out all we can about blood changer thing. Malfoy Manor has one of the best libraries and maybe we will also find an old journal or something of my ancestors. That would help a lot."

"Hmn, I can't believe you never knew about the blood changer. It's supposed to have been in your family for centuries. Do you need help with the cleaning?"

"No thanks," he said attacking the bed sheets to rid them of the dust, "I am more interested about how my family lost the blood changer in the first place and how the heck it reached _you_ of all people."

He could hear Hermione doing some dusting of her own in her room, coughing form time to time. Draco decide that she was distracted enough to safely land another bomb on her.

"Uh, Hermione, we need to go for a little visit to my aunt's. My mother is getting rather impatient because I haven't been to see her in ages."

"You go! I am not coming!" she yelled from her room, "Your mother hates my guts, in case you forgot. And does she even know I am staying here with you?"

"Hermione, I can't leave you alone in this place! And no my mother doesn't know yet but she will soon."

She popped a head into his room, "how come I get to visit your mother but I am not allowed to see _my_ friends and family?"

"Potter and Weasly should be back for Easter. You can meet them then."

Draco was now examining a trunk full of childhood stuff. He picked up a gleaming golden snitch that started fluttering in his fists. It was the snitch he had caught on his first ever Quidditch win at Hogwarts. There was a discarded ancestral ring that he had stopped wearing a few years back, omniculars from the World Cup, his prefect badge, a hand made silk dress robe that had been his last present from his father, a gold wizard chess set and a few photo albums and letters. These were his treasured possessions collected from various points of his life.

Hermione strolled into the room, feeding Ameera from a small bottle. She sat down beside Draco and picked up a framed photo.

"Merlin, Malfoy! Is that you?" she exclaimed.

She was showing him an eight year old picture of himself where he was wearing hairclips and was engrossed in a book called, 'How to get Even with your Enemy'. The blond haired chubby cheeked boy in the picture kept smirking and frowning at the book in turn.

"You look so adorable! Why were you wearing hairclips?"

"I suppose I was getting a haircut or something." he said taking Ameera for Hermione because the baby was now spitting milk all over the floor.

"Oh, listen, you will need this for the visit to my aunt's," he said summoning a plastic bag.

Hermione opened the bag hesitantly and pulled out the white sundress he had bought for her from Diagon Alley. She gasped.

"Malfoy, I am not wearing this! Its too expensive, not to mention a little too revealing!"

"My mother approves of style, Granger. If you want to make a good impression you have to wear it."

He could see her dilemma clearly and almost laughed out loud as she gazed at the dress in confusion.

"No, it's too much." came her verdict.

Draco decided to relent for the night at least. But Hermione would wear the dress. He would make sure she did.

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading. Now please, please, please review!**

**Also check out my drabble series please after reading this!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N- Very sorry about the long wait. My computer crashed!**

It was the next evening after they had moved to Malfoy Manor. Dozens of books, journals and various scripts lay strewn around them.

"Granger, we have been doing this all day and not one single thing about the bloody blood changer!" Draco said with frustration, flinging away the book he had been holding carelessly and walking away to stand in front of another shelf full of books.

Hermione, who was poring over an old tattered journal herself, barely looked up as she said, "we are bound to fond something sooner or later. This journal of your great grandfather's is especially illuminating. You come form a seriously evil family, Malfoy."

"Sure," Draco quipped, walking towards her with another armful of books, w hat did he do now?"

Hermione flicked a page lazily, "He bribed the whole Wizengamot to vote for the execution of a globlin that forgot to bring him firewhiskey when he visited Gringotts. Atrocious really."

"Shouldn't you be a little more outraged abut this?" he asked quizzically, "I mean you are supposed to be the savior of all the elves and goblins and mudbloods in the world."

"I suppose. But why waste my breath when I can just make sure that you don't follow in your ancestor's footsteps."

Another hour passed by. Towards the end of the hour, Ameera produced loud cry to announce her dinner time and Hermione got up to heat up a bottle. Draco went back to hover over the towering book shelves restlessly. "Useless lumps of junk. I am throwing all these shit out as soon as I can!" he muttered kicking at a particular embossed plate of wood underneath the corner of a shelf. To his amazement, the plate slid apart and Draco dropped down on the floor to see a familiar metal carving. Excitement bubbled inside him. He rushed to his bedroom to bring the ancestral ring that was in his trunk and ran back to the library. He placed the ring on the metal and sure enough, the ring glowed blindingly for a second and then, the shelf parted in half to reveal an oak door.

Instead of a lock, there was the same metal carving on the door as had been on the wooden plate. Draco once again placed the ring on the metal and the door swung open automatically. As he walked in fire sprang up from torches with each step until the whole room was lighted up brilliantly.

Draco shivered with suppressed elation. This was it. The more restricted reads should be here. He remembered his father telling him while giving Draco the family ring for the first time ever that the ring was not only a family heirloom but that it opened secrets to which only a Malfoy was eligible. This must be what Lucius had meant.

As he surveyed the room quietly, a chill ran down his spine in spite of himself. The room radiated dark magic. He could feel it. The walls were a terse black color dappled here and there with splashes of red. As in the library, three of the four walls of the room contained towering shelves filled with books. And what books! They had to be some of the darkest and most evil books that existed in the wizarding world. The books in the Hogwarts restricted section were nothing compared to these, Draco wondered in bewilderment. A strange force seemed to emanate from the books as if they resented being intruded upon. Some of the compartments in the shelves contained lumps of various shapes covered in transparent glasses or cloths. These were no doubt highly dangerous objects. One even glowed red and stared an eerie wail as Draco neared it.

Soon enough, he found what he was looking for in "Magical Mysteries throughout Time". He fingered through the book and sure enough there were a couple of chapters wholly dedicated to the blood changer.

He heard Hermione come into the library and hastily called out to her not to enter the second room. Who knew what anti-mudblood spells his family had put in this room. He decided to look around a bit more and found a whole shelf dedicated to journals of the Malfoy men through generations. He snatched the last journal that was his grandfather's and had just turned around to leave when something else caught his eyes.

A small area was full of dozens of erotic, sexual books. Draco smirked broadly. It was little wonder that Malfoys were gods in bed. He took out "The Art of Kama Sutra" and ran out of room. He placed his ring on the metal once again and the room sealed itself back.

Hermione was peering at him curiously.

"Where did that come from?" she burst out.

Draco shrugged nonchalantly, "Another of the many secrets of Malfoy Manor and damn helpful this was. Look."

He turned over the pages and started reciting,

_The blood changer- a highly powerful and ancient magical object that is able to transfers its magic into the blood of a non magic infant within a minute of the infant's birth. It is known to attach itself to the one it has changed and exists in the body in the form of a certain mark that is characteristic to the person. This mark is invisible to all except the owner of the blood changer. Legend has it that a certain potion maybe brewed to detect the changed human but none have attempted it yet. _

_The blood changer is as dark as it is pure. The changed human will have the most purest magical blood running through his veins and will have a binding magical protection throughout his life. In the wrong hands it can prove lethal_

_The changed human lives a rather shorter life than a conventional wizard. After the changed human has died, the blood changer will detach itself and turn back into an object and will keep changing form as it goes form one person to another until it changes another infant's blood._

"In the wrong hands, it can prove lethal. That bit was obviously about the blood changer making an indestructible horcrux." Hermione said quietly when Draco stopped reading. "Just imagine, Draco, this thing possessing a torn soul. It will transfer all its magic to the soul making the soul almost alive. In a horcrux, the object usually contains and protects the soul. But with the powers from the blood changer, this soul will take control of the object itself. It will be indestructible. No wonder Voldemort wants it so badly."

"We need to make that potion, Hermione." Drcao said gravely.

"But why?"

"Because we need to find out for sure that the thing is inside you. Voldemort may have some misinformation or Dumbledore could have misinterpreted your bloodline. We have to be completely sure and if the blood changer is really inside you, we need to find out how to get it out of you without killing you."

Hermione looked at him sadly, "but I will probably lose all my powers."

"Hermione, I would rather you live without your powers than not live at all!" he said grabbing her shoulders fiercely.

Hermione could see the raw honesty in his eyes that said he had really meant those words. She was on the verge of flinging her arms around him and probably kiss him senseless for showing so much care when he added, "don't forget, Ameera needs you. You are the only person she has in the world."

The happiness died down in an instant. The words hit her like a thousand needles pricking her skin all at once. What a fool she was for thinking that Draco Malfoy cared anything about her. Hermione knew it was a selfish and ungrateful thought and that she should be happy to have someone love her daughter as much as Malfoy did. But the hurt claimed her nonetheless.

Hermione had been so far away from the people who cared for her for such a long time that that she found herself craving even the slightest bit of affection from anyone be it her former enemy turned friend, Malfoy. It was a scary prospect but she found herself having absolutely no control over the feeling. She wanted badly to mean something to someone again. She wanted to feel loved desperately. And Malfoy, she realized, had the ability to pull out dark and dangerous needs in her that hungered to be fulfilled. She wanted to feel like a woman again.

But she was not about to beg. No.

She could feel him staring at her but she kept her head lowered, gazing blindly at the book lying on the floor. He cleared his throat and began, "Hermione, I have been thinking…"

Still smarting, Hermione replied sarcastically, "Oh good, Malfoy, you can think! Brilliant!"

Ignoring her, he continued, "I love Ameera very much. And I am the only father figure she knows. You can say that since she came to this world, she has known me longer than she has known even you. She is already attached to me and I am to her."

He paused. Hermione looked up then, hardly daring to believe. He ploughed on, "I don't care that she is not mine. I don't care who her real father is. I only know that she is yours and I want Ameera to be ours. I want to be a permanent part of both of your and her life and be a proper family when this is all over."

He grabbed her hand in his, looking into her eyes intensely, "Hermione, will you marry me?"

Draco could se the shock and turmoil in her eyes. But he could not get himself to regret his desperate attempt at keeping Hermione and her daughter in his life forever. Yes, he had just unashamedly used Ameera as an excuse but he had meant every word. Professing his love for Hermione directly would only make her hate him more than she did already. So as usual he had said the next closest truth.

He cupped a cheek, forcing himself not to be hurt by her stunned expression and said, "You don't have to say anything tonight. Just think about it, alright?"

***


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N- So computer is finally fixed so no more long waits! **

**Thanks to jessirose85 for betaing the chapter.**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

And they were back to avoiding each other. For the next two days, they lived together in a maddening silence, keeping to their bedrooms except for meal times. Not a word was mentioned about the out of the world proposal for which Hermione was immensely grateful. Her heart leaped with panic whenever she thought of his words. They were just too bizarre to even contemplate.

All the while a silent and childish battle raged between them over the white sundress. The cloth was being unceremoniously tossed among them. Hermione would stumble upon the dress under her bed or underneath the sheets in Ameera's crib and she would unobtrusively return the dress back to Draco's room and hide it well only to find it hanging pleasantly in her closet the next day.

Right now it was past midnight. Ameera was kicking up a fuss and refusing to go to sleep. Finally, Hermione walked to Draco's room to fix Ameera her formula. She hesitated at knocking the door, still apprehensive about facing him.

Before she could knock, the door swung open by its self. She found Draco sitting on an armchair in front of the fire, engrossed in a diary of some sort. Without looking up, he motioned for her to come inside and closed the door behind her with a lazy flick of his wand.

Hermione walked in nervously into the dimly lit room. Darkness had been pushed into corners by the red and orange from the fire, throwing half the room into shadows. She went past him to the kitchen, miffed a little at his complete lack of attention to her. As Hermione set the milk boiling, she heard Draco let out a frustrated noise and close his book with a snap.

"I do not believe this! It's outrageous!" He announced, stomping into the kitchen.

"Is that right, Malfoy?" Hermione retorted nonchalantly. "Care to elaborate?"

"It's my grandfather's journal. He was the last possessor of the Blood Changer," Draco explained. "He even jotted down the basic ingredients for the Detecting potion. But he very conveniently forgot to write down the proper procedure!"

Hermione turned to him then seriously. "Maybe we can figure something out together. We _were_ the best in Snape's class."

Draco shook his head worriedly. "I don't know, Hermione. It looks very complicated, not to mention using some very improper forms of magic, if you know what I mean. And we can't risk poisoning you."

"This is the only lead we have, Draco. We have to try this in some way." Hermione protested, drawing up a chair next to his and touching his arm lightly. His muscles jerked in response and Hermione felt her fingers curl around him even more firmly. There it was again, the strange tingling, the electric jolts. It was like being suddenly thrown into a whirlpool and she found herself getting sucked deeper and deeper into the chaotic sensations and no way out of it. And she knew that Draco felt it too because she saw his eyes darken, the grayish tones taking on a misty, seductive quality. She closed her own eyes, baffled at this inexplicable attraction. Memories of their last physical encounter flooded her mind, the feel of his hard, naked body against her, his mouth on her breast. And most of all, his delicious lips…Hermione gave an involuntary shudder.

She felt his cool, minty breath whisper on her cheek just before he pressed a silky kiss on it, lingering inextricably. As his smell and nearness continued to plunder her senses, Hermione found herself inhaling him in. She shivered when his light stubble grazed her chin as he moved to her ears to whisper achingly, "Hermione…may I kiss you? Please…"

In one motion, Hermione crushed her mouth to his, draping both her arms around his shoulders, clinging on for life. He grabbed fistful of her hair and took control. His kiss was slow and through, tantalizing, with an erotic finesses that only Draco Malfoy possessed. Heart thudding with anticipation, Hermione opened her eyes to watch the intent expression on his face as he deepened the kiss. He suckled on her lower lip, flicking his tongue as if seeking permission to access inside. Instinctively she parted her lips letting his tongue thrust and explore the inside cervices of her mouth. His kiss became harsh, demanding and hungry. Somehow, she found herself standing and crushed to Draco's chest, her hands plunged into his soft, golden tresses. His arms were tightly wrapped around her waist and she could feel him fighting to not let his hands roam all over her body.

But sweet Merlin, she needed his touch, needed his mouth on her naked flesh like the other night. She tugged at his arms, moaning encouragingly. He growled and slid a hand up her body to cup one aching breast. He tore his lips away from hers and feasted on the side of her neck, biting down softly. Flashes of memory of the last time he had done something similar rushed through her eyes, intensifying the pleasure.

But then the images changed. Now it was a hooded figure behind her eyes, drawing blood from her skin and raping her repeatedly, shouting crude words that still echoed in her ears.

_Scream for me, you fucking bitch! Scream, I say! Oh no you don't! I swear I will kill you if I see one single stupid tear, you fucked up stubborn mudblood! Now scream or I will use the cruciatus again to really make you scream and there will be more blood this time too…_

Her eyes widened. Her breath came out in ragged gasps. It was happening again.

Immediately, Draco pulled away. He waited until her breathing evened out and the panic disappeared from her eyes. Then, he cupped her cheeks tenderly and asked, "Are you alright?"

Hermione nodded slowly.

"Hermione, I could say that this won't happen again but I will just save my breath."

She looked up at him with troubled eyes and whispered, "Draco, I don't want to be scared anymore. I want you to help me get over this. Help me forget…"

He let out a strangled noise and gathered her up closely in his arms.

Hermione sighed into his chest. It felt so right. She felt so safe, so protected…

"We will leave for my aunt's early in the morning tomorrow." He said still holding her to him.

"Okay."

"You will wear the dress I bought you." He added firmly.

Hermione looked up and scowled, "No."

"Yes, you will."

"Why?"

"Because if you do, I promise to change Ameera for the next one week." He declared.

"One month." Bargained Hermione.

"Two weeks, Granger. Don't push it!"

"Fine, then!"

Draco laughed. Hermione put her head back to his chest loving the deep rumbling sound of his laughter that issued from inside him.

Eventually, a series of loud wails caught their attention.

"Oh no! I forgot to feed Ameera!"

***

Draco was nowhere in sight when Hermione woke up the next morning. Swallowing a bout of panic, she focused her attention on the baby who was currently kicking up a fuss over her morning bottle.

Hermione even made a special breakfast for herself and Draco to celebrate their new found truce. After waiting for an hour in the kitchen, Hermione finally started to hyperventilate.

Where the hell was he? What if he had been captured? Frantic thoughts flew through her mind. She started to pace the dark kitchen. She had a gut feeling that something was horribly wrong. All the darkness and menace of the abandoned Manor seemed to seep into the kitchen and loom ominously around her. The house seemed to reverberate to her tension.

At midday, when Draco still wasn't back, tears started to fall freely down her cheeks. She realized with a start how easy it was to cry over him, to fear about his safety and worry for his life.

She should have accepted his proposal when she had had the chance. She should have trusted him more. It really didn't matter that Draco only wanted to marry her to be a proper father to Ameera. Merlin knew that after everything that had happened to her, Ameera would be lucky to even _have_ a father figure in her life. After all, who would want to marry a girl like Hermione who had been raped and used in the most gruesome ways possible and had lost the ability to properly enjoy sex due to the inflicted trauma.

She would have married Draco regardless because she had only just come to realize the true man that Draco Malfoy was. He was not a selfish bully; he was not the foul mouthed, prejudiced pureblood. He was her protector, the only father her child had ever known. He was the man who had been fighting relentlessly to keep her alive.

At that very moment, two things happened at once. There was a loud blast from downstairs and several noises of people breaking in. In the kitchen, the patronous of a silver sea horse bounded through the wall and Draco's voice bellowed from it urgently, "Stay in your room, Hermione! Whatever happens, don't step out of the room!"

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading now please review!**

**If there is anyone from my country, Bangladesh, reading this story please let me know in a review or PM. **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N- Sorry for the long wait. I just started college and things have been a little hectic.**

**Thanks to jessirose85 for betaing the chapter.**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

As the voices downstairs began to get louder and more violent, Hermione quietly slipped to her bedroom with Ameera, holding the baby close to chest as she huddled into the smallest possible position.

She could just make out the harsh voices that rose up to her room.

"They must be here! Go on, search the entire house!" said a heavy, brutal voice.

"You will not give us orders, Yaxley! We know what to do and you will be joining the search too. Runcorn, you work at the Ministry. Are you sure you heard correctly that this is where they are residing?"

"I have told you at least a dozen times already, Rowele," Runcorn replied in a bored tone, "Dumbledore asked Scrimegeour for extra protection at Malfoy Manor. They are here. And we will have no trouble finding them now because Ministry protections no longer mean a thing. You people are the Ministry now."

Hermione felt herself grow cold. The ministry had been taken over, she realized.

"Just be sure, Runcorn, you don't want the Dark Lord's wrath upon you." Rowele said scathingly."

"I do believe you are fearing for your own life here, Rowele. I hear you have been punished enough already by the Dark Lord." A new voice sneered.

"That's enough, Travers," hissed a female voice now and Hermione had no trouble deducing it as Bellatrix Lestrange's.

They were moving through the entire house now. Hermione could hear spells and jinxes being thrown around. Her mouth opened in a silent scream as she heard footsteps nearing her own room. Feeling her mother's frightened state, Ameera began to cry loudly as well. Hermione desperately tried to quiet her but in vain. For some reason, whoever approaching the room did not seem to hear the noises.

Bellatrix cried out mockingly, "Come out, come out ickle Draco. Come to aunt Bella! You know you can't hide that mudblood forever."

Miraculously, Bellatrix passed Hermione's room without breaking in through the door. Hermione stared in wonder hardy daring to believe.

After two hours of thorough searching, the Death Eaters seemed to give up.

"You will have it this time, Runcorn," said Rowele's malicious voice, "they are clearly not here."

The only quiet reply that came was, "We underestimated Dumbledore. Let's go."

Hermione let out a long sigh of relief. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she kissed Ameera and whispered to the baby, "We are safe, sweetie, we are safe. Now if only Draco would come back."

As if on queue Draco apparated right in the middle of the room, rushing towards Hermione and Ameera to take them in his arms.

"Are you alright? What happened? What did they do?" he asked all at once as Hermione sobbed into his chest.

Ignoring all his questions, Hermione slammed her lips to his, kissing him fiercely like she was taking her last breath, her tears wetting his face, "I will marry you," she finally chocked out, "Merlin, I will do anything that you ask me. Just don't ever leave me like that. Please Draco…"

He smiled gently, pulling her chin up with one finger, "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I don't know how or when it happened but you have actually become quite nice. And I can't seem to be able to refuse you!"

"It's your fault! You've ruined me for life!" he teased, picking up Ameera who had been swatting at his cheek for his attention, "Now, tell me what happened."

She told him about receiving the message from the patronous and immediately going to hide in her room with Ameera while the Death Eaters searched the entire house.

"Why didn't they come to this room, Draco?" she asked the question that had been nagging her for sometime now.

"One of Dumbledore's brilliant ideas." Draco explained. "He put a Fidelius charm on only your room and mine rather than the whole house. It was a very complicated piece of magic. Never been restrained to particular rooms before, that charm. But Dumbledore made it work."

"I don't know what would happen to us without Dumbledore protecting us," Hermione said in gratitude, "bless him. But where did you go this morning?"

"I just went for a little walk at dawn you know, to find out what's going on around," he started, "I heard Ameera keeping you up all night so I didn't want to wake you up so early. There were a bunch of people talking on the street about the Minister being dead and I went straight to Dumbledore because it meant that the Ministry's been taken over and we are no longer safe in here."

Hermione gasped, "So it's true? They have taken over the ministry?"

"Yeah. They have put the Imperious on Pius Thickness and replaced him as Minister. It's happened, Hermione. The war is raging."

"Can we go on staying here then?" Hermione asked.

"I think we can. Its not like we have anywhere else we can go to."

"What _are_ Harry and Ron doing?" Hermione shrieked in frustration causing Ameera to cry out in synch as well, "They must be lost without me!"

"Wow, Granger, modest much?"

"Oh, shut up you prat!" She said jumping up from the bed and starting to pace, "What if they fight again? You don't know how those two can be. Harry can be such a pighead sometimes and Ron is so temperamental!"

"Yes, Hermione, but they are not dumb, you know, much as it pains me to admit that. They do know that they can let nothing get into the way of defeating Voldemort." Draco said calmly.

"You don't understand, Draco, we have always done everything together, the three of us." She protested.

"Yeah, yeah, the golden trio, I know. But Hermione, this time Harry Potter in not the prime target but you. This time you are the mother of a child. Your safety is the first priority here."

"Humph, do you know how much you use Ameera to blackmail me, Draco?" Hermione grumbled, walking towards the door, "It's not fair, I tell you. Now please watch my baby for me while I get us some dinner."

***

Left alone in the room, Draco stared at Ameera with deep sadness and the baby too gazed up at him with big, liquid eyes, a soft smile playing on her small pouted lips. He kissed her forehead tenderly and whispered, "That's not true, what your mother said. You know I love you, don't you baby girl? And I love your mother so much too. I am just sacred that the truth will make her hate me so much. I don't want her to hate me again."

Surprisingly, the baby brought up a small hand and touched his cheek, cooing softly. Draco's heart filled with pleasure as he hugged her more tightly to his chest, "You brought so much joy back to my life with your smile and innocence. And I promise you, my sweet child, I will do whatever it takes to keep you and your mother in my life. I will make her fall in love with me, you'll see."

***

The evening found an exasperated Draco standing outside Hermione's room banging on the door impatiently.

"It's not the Yule Ball, Hermione! We are just going to my Aunt's! How much longer are you going to take to get ready?"

"Your mother approves of style, Draco. At least that's what you told me and that's exactly what I am trying to do here. So stop bugging me!"

Draco muttered something under his breath about damn women and stupid fashion and taking too much time.

"I heard that, Draco Malfoy!" Hermione called out.

Draco threw the door an incredulous look, wondering exactly how sharp muggle born ears were.

"I am ready to come out now."

Draco sighed. Finally. "About time woma- sweet Merlin!"

All the breath whooshed out of his lungs, his eyes almost ready to pop as he gaped at her, speechless.

"You like?" Hermione asked nervously.

Like? She had got to be joking. Because he couldn't take his eyes off of her!

Angelic. It was the only word his momentarily paralyzed brain could provide. The white material of her dress was draped over her form like water flowing on a supple valley, hugging her breasts and her hips enticingly, flaunting her soft, feminine curves to the fullest. The low cut neck line showed just a hint of cleavage, the dress ending in soft frills around her knees, showing off her long, shapely calves to perfection. Her lips were blood red, her eyes, smoky and sultry and dark. She had pulled up her hair into a messy bun letting dark tendrils of curls flow freely around her face.

"Say something!" Hermione insisted.

Draco gulped and tried his best to shake off the mesmerized feeling. "You look beautiful," he said pressing a soft kiss on her forehead, "just a little incomplete."

"What? What is it? Is it my hair? I knew I should have done something more with…"

She stopped in mid sentence because Draco had brought out a small ring form his pocket and slipped it on her finger. She gaped at the simple elegance of the platinum with little diamond stones snaking their way around the entire ring.

"There," he said patting her finger, "now you are perfect."

He watched her dumfound expression on her face with a smirk of his own and said, "What? We are engaged! Have you forgotten already? I have just made it official with the ring."

"Are we going to tell your mother about this?" Hermione asked, chewing on her lower lips.

Draco laughed out loudly. "I can't wait to see the look on her face! Come on now. Let's get going."

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading. Please review!**

**And please check out my new story, "My Secret Valentine" and let me know what you think!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N- Hello and happy reading!**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

Contempt. It was written all over the aristocratic features of Narcissa Malfoy as she threw a condescending glance at Hermione after greeting her son.

"Hello, Mrs. Malfoy." Hermione said awkwardly her knees almost gIving away.

"Miss Granger. What a surprise." The woman replied coldly, now scrutinizing the small bundle in Hermione's arms that was Ameera. "Do come in. There's a nice fire in the parlor."

Draco squeezed her arm in assurance and led her inside the house.

"Is he here already?" a voice called from the kitchen.

Draco walked toward the woman approaching the parlor and kissed her cheek. "I am afraid I have brought a guest Aunt Andromeda. Meet Hermione Granger."

To Hermione's surprise, Andromeda rushed towards her and gave her a quick hug. "Hermione Granger. Heard a lot about you of course. I had no idea you were this beautiful, child! And oh is that your baby? How adorable! Can I hold her?"

Hermione blushed, feeling her nerves loosen a little at the woman's warmth. She turned to Draco's mother to find the woman appraising her with cool eyes. Narcissa looked back at Draco and said tightly, "Son, lets go up to my bedroom. We need to talk privately."

Hermione could not help but feel bad for Draco as she watched him follow his mother upstairs. Andromeda steered her to a comfortable couch and Hermione found herself suck by how different the two sisters were. Not just in appearance but in personality as well. Where Narcissa was the epitome of light, untouchable beauty with rigid control over very emotion, Andromeda was dark seduction, speaking her mind plainly and radiating a warmth and kindness that reminded Hermione painfully of Sirius Black. Andromeda's resemblance to Bellatrix Lestrange was quite frightening but you soon got over it if you looked at the laugh lines bracketing her mouth and the sweet crinkles in the corners of her eyes.

"Please don't mind my sister's behavior, dear." Andromeda said, "Things have been very tough for lately. I think you will understand, having had a rough year yourself."

Hermione nodded. "She must blame me for her husband's death."

The older woman shook her head firmly in denial, "Narcissa never chose for herself the lifestyle she had. She was forced into an arranged marriage and bound by family tradition. She did come to love Lucius eventually but she was never strong enough to protest his chosen path of life. The man deserved what he got for using his own son as Voldemort's pawn and Narcissa loves her son too much to forgive this fault of her husband's."

"Will you tell me something, Andromeda?" Hermione asked in a whisper, almost afraid of the answer, "Was Lucius ever good to Draco?"

Andromeda sighed. "I was never close to my sister's family, much like Sirus. I have had a hard time getting Narcissa to open up to me. Sometimes, in a sad moment, she will talk about the rare good times the three of them would have like Lucius teaching Draco to fly for the first time or when Lucius forcefully cut Draco's hair because the boy looked too much like a girl with his long golden stresses at eight."

Andromeda paused. Hermione smiled at the image of the little boy with the long golden strands. And she also remembered the picture of Draco wearing the hairclips. She remembered the twelve year old Draco spouting his father's name at every possible chance. Back then she had thought that he was being just plain conceited. Now she realized that it was the pride and admiration of the boy speaking. A boy who clearly thought of his father as the most wonderful person in his life.

"Yes, Lucius was a good father in Draco's early years," andromeda continued in a sad voice, "but after Voldemort returned, the Death Eater replaced the father. Draco was so young then and so in awe of his father and his powers that I don't think he noticed the difference. That led him to make some very wrong decisions in life. He did realize how much his father used him once his Slytherin instincts took over but by then he was already in to deep."

She leaned forward and looked into Hermione's eyes intensely, "My dear, you must be very special to Draco. He has been protecting you all along hasn't he?"

"He has taken good care of me and my baby. But it's only on Dumbledore's orders."

Andromeda laughed out loud. "Oh child, haven't you noticed yet that my nephew is a Slytherin through and through. He would never dream of doing anything that didn't have something in it for himself as well!"

"Are you implying that I shouldn't trust him?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"No, no, dear. I am just saying that you can be sure that Draco has more feelings for you than he lets on."

Feelings for her daughter, Hermione corrected silently. She could not say that to Andromeda. But she could not help the longing that Andromeda's words inflicted on her heart. If only…

***

"This is my chance to repent, mother, to throw off my father's shadow once and for all. I need to do this."

"But Draco!" Narcissa protested tearfully, "don't you know the danger you are putting yourself into? Are you ready to sacrifice your life for that muggle born?"

"Mother, you know very well that I no longer give a bloody damn to that mud blood, pureblood crap anymore." Draco said sternly, "As for putting myself in danger, mother, the whole wizarding world is unsafe until Voldemort is defeated. And if protecting Hermione can quicken his downfall, then I have no problem doing it."

"Then, pray, tell me then, why does Hermione Granger need protecting? She is just an ordinary mudblood!"

"Fine, I will tell you. Everything. But I want Aunt Andromeda to hear it too. So let's go down. And please try to be nice to Hermione. She is nervous enough as it is."

***

All three women stared at him with rapt attention but Draco had eyes only for Hermione. Because it was necessary that she understood everything of what he was about to reveal. It was important that she trusted what he said.

Clearing his throat, he began. "Mother, I think you know what happened after father died but I will repeat for Aunt Andromeda and Hermione. Hermione, I knew that night when you didn't show up for our patrol duty that you weren't coming back and you were in grave danger. I also knew that I would pay for letting you escape like that. Voldemort would see to it. And he did. A week after you ran away, my fathered called me back form Hogwarts to Malfoy Manor. I watched him die that night. Voldemort ordered me to find you and threatened to kill my mother too if I failed again. But I had had enough of Death Eaters and Dark Lords. I had long ago decided that you had to be insane to trust Voldemort. He would kill me and my mother regardless. I was too scared to do anything before but now with my father gone, I made a decision. I went to Dumbledore that very night and confessed everything…

***

_It was a wonder his heart didn't just burst out of his chest with all the pain that it was suppressing. Bitterness marred the grief at times. How could his father have left them in such a mess? Draco's last hope, Dumbledore, was peering at him sadly while his mother sat beside him, as still as ice, staring at the walls ahead of her with unfocused eyes. _

_The office door opened quietly and in came Madam Pomfrey with worry etched over her face._

_Dumbledore turned to her, "My dear, please take Narcissa to the hospital wing. She is in terrible shock right now, having just witnessed the death of her husband."_

_The woman gasped, "Lucius Malfoy is dead? But Head Master, how?"_

_Madam Pomfrey never received an answer because at that very moment, Narcissa seemed to snap out of her trance and shrieked hysterically, "No! My husband is not dead. He is not! He has just gone on a mission. He will be back. He will…"_

_She started to whimper pitifully, her face drawn and hollow, her lips parched and pale. The matron kindly escorted her outside the office while Draco put his hands over his face tiredly. Why did he feel like a twelve year old boy again? Why did he feel like curling up in his mother's arm and hiding from the whole world so that nothing bad could happen to him?_

"_Draco, there is nothing I can do for you until you decide which path you will take form now onwards." Dumbledore said gently, "Are you ready to let go of the darkness and come out in the light once and for all?"_

"_I will do anything you say, sir, anything. Nothing matteres any more. My father's dead." he said not really knowing what he meant._

"_Then find Hermione Granger before Voldemort does. Save her, protect her. That is all I ask of you, Drcao."_

"_My mother…"_

"_I give you my word that she will receive the highest level of protection possible." Said Dumbledore. _

"_What about me? If Voldemort knows I have switched sides, he will kill me at once." Draco insisted, the pain in his heart now reaching a dull throb._

"_Professor Snape will take care of that, Draco." _

_***_

_Two days later, Drcao was at the Manor with his former head of house. Snape was holding out a cup of potion. The draught of living death. Draco didn't need to ask. Snape explained anyway, "I need to show the Dark Lord at least some evidence that I have actually killed you. When you wake up in a few hours, you can get to your job without Voldemort at your trail." _

_Drcao nodded and sipped the potion. He welcomed the numbness that took over his brain and his limbs and with a last sigh, he collapsed on the floor._

_***_

**AN- Thank you for reading. Now please review! More memories coming up in the next chapter. **


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks to jessirose85 for betaing the chapter.**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

Draco paused, glancing worriedly at his mother's pale face. He put his arms around her trembling shoulders whispering words of comfort that sounded hollow even to his own ears.

Hermione closed her eyes against the sudden wetness threatening to spill overboard. Narcissa Malfoy might be a smooth, beautifully sculptured transparent ice on the outside but once she let go of the rigid control over her emotions, she was just as vulnerable as an infant. On this aspect, Hermione could relate well to the older woman. Because a similar but opposite thing often happened with herself. Hermione was a fiery Gryffindor well in touch with her emotions but when this control snapped, she withdrew into a cold dark place inside her mind where nothing could touch her. It was how she had survived the death eaters.

And there was Draco. No matter how mean, how arrogant or selfish, the man had always loved his family and put them above everything even as a boy. Loyalty, it was something that he knew well and if the last few weeks had not already broken down the walls around her heart, this blatant expression of love and care for his mother did.

Holding Narcissa tenderly in his arms, Draco continued, "It took me a year to track Hermione down, what with being presumed I was dead and all. It did slow me down a bit. I found her and not in such a good shape either. She was pregnant and barely alive. I delivered her baby, kept her safe as I had promised Dumbledore. But then we were discovered. Someone broke into the house one night and saw us. The gig was up. Voldemort knew I was alive and protecting Hermione and Ameera so Dumbledore arranged the Manor for us. And we are still in hiding."

"But Draco," said Andromeda breathlessly, "you haven't told us why Voldemort is after Hermione in the first place? And who is the father of this child?"

All eyes turned to her. Hermione gulped, sitting up straighter. She knew the time had finally come. She must reveal the name of Ameera's father. There was no backing out. These people deserved the truth.

"Rodolphus Lestrange stopped raping me when he found out that I was pregnant…"

***

_She puked all over herself and her rapist that night. And she lost consciousness. Hermione woke up to a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was an uncomfortably warm feeling and the heat was growing by second until she screamed out in agony, clutching her belly and opening her eyes. _

_He was standing over her, his expression stricken, his want pointed to her lower stomach. Hermione gasped out loud. Was this some new form of torture?_

_But the sheer horror in the man's face told a different story. He looked like a man who had just come out of a nightmare. _

"_Fucking Merlin, you're pregnant!" He whispered hoarsely._

_The words had not completely left his mouth when she started to slip back into the darkness once gain. Pregnant? A baby? Was this a joke, a cruel, twisted joke that fate was playing on her? A death eater's baby conceived from rape and torture? _

"_No!" she cried, "no, there's no baby inside me. It's not a baby! It's a monster. And I want it out of me! Out! Get it out of me!"_

_He slapped her then, clutching fistful of her hair painfully and snarled, "Oh no, not in a million years, you filth. This kid might be useful to the dark lord. You should be proud that a mudblood like you is giving birth to a purblood's child."_

_Seven agonizing moths passed. The raping stopped. The tortures did not. The questioning did not. The baby inside her grew. To Hermione, it was like venom, an infinitely evil thing consuming up her body with each passing week. She did the only thing she could. She detached herself mentally from her own body to survive this poison spreading inside her. _

_In the months that followed her pregnancy, Rodolphus Lestrange watched over her dangerously, making sure that the baby inside her remained safe and that Hermione did not try to harm it in anyway. Sometimes, he would drink himself unconscious and mutter pathetically about his own wife never loving him or producing any children for him to carry on his bloodline. Hw would say that even though a mudblood had tainted the line, the legacy would survive now regardless. _

_Hermione would shudder at the implication, wrinkle her nose at the stench of bad breath and sweat coming form the death eater. _

_Then one night, she was once again surrounded by nameless death eaters in masks who jeered and sneered at her, poking her round belly painfully. The baby kicked back as if in reprobation. The death eaters laughed louder and one slapped her stomach harshly. _

_And then the most incredible thing happened. As soon as the death heater's hand met her stomach, he as well as the surrounding men, were thrown into the air with a force enough to render them unconscious. Whimpering, Hermione realized what had happened. Her baby had protected her by creating a shield for its mother. For the first time, Hermione cradled her round belly, caressing the life inside her. This baby loved its mother, Hermione understood this much._

_Making hasty plans, she quickly assessed the situation. The men were knocked out. The door was unlocked. This was the only chance she would get. She grabbed her wand from Rodolphus' pocket and escaped into the night._

_***_

Andromeda had moved close to Hermione and was holding her much as Draco had held his own mother earlier. Tears streamed down the older woman's face but Hermione's eyes were surprisingly dry. She had done it. It was finally out of her.

She looked over towards Darco and for some reason, the completely blank expression on his face hurt her. He had shown absolutely no reaction to her story. Didn't he care?

In a trembling voice she went on, "That's when Draco found me. I have just realized that the place where I was imprisoned is not far form here. Draco must have been visiting with you when he came upon me."

Draco nodded and said, "As for why Voldemort's after her, it's because Hermione has possession of an object that he can turn into an indestructible horcrux."

"The blood changer?" asked Narcissa quietly, speaking for the first time.

Draco and Hermione both sent her a surprised look. Narcissa shrugged. "What? I am a Malfoy. I think I know more about it than you do, children."

"Mother do you know anything about the detecting potion?" Draco asked urgently, excitement shining in his eyes.

"Know? I made that damn potion with your grandfather, son." Scoffed Narcissa.

"Why, mother? Why would you need to brew the detecting potion?"

Narcissa sighed dramatically, "Son, I vowed never to reveal this to another living soul. But these are desperate times calling for desperate measures. Do you know that you and Miss Granger here were delivered in the same house when you were born?"

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading. Please review!**

**I know the last bit of this chapter is quietly impossible and horrifyingly non canon. But it's really important to assume that in my story, Draco and Hermione were born on the same day at the same time. I take this liberty because this is alternate universe after all! Thank you for understanding. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Thanks to jessirose85 for betaing the chapter.**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Harry Potter. It belongs to JK and JK only. But the featured story is fortunately mine.**

"WHAT?" yelled Draco and Hermione in unison.

Narcissa held up her hand to silence them. "It's a long story that happened a long time ago." She said calmly, "The night was stormy and I was at the last week of my pregnancy. Lucius was away in Europe on business.

"I went into labor towards midnight and I was assisted to St. Mungo's by your grandfather, Draco. There had been an accident at a large potions lab earlier that day so rooms were short. I had to share one with another woman who was also in labor."

"My mother?" whispered Hermione in a hoarse voice.

Narcissa turned to her, looking steadily into her eyes and said, "Maybe your mother."

"But her parents are muggle born." Protested Draco, voicing Hermione's thoughts.

"I am getting there son." Replied Narcissa in an irritated voice and continued, "I knew instantly that the woman was a muggle because her side of the room was disillusioned to look like a muggle hospital. I also heard some of the Healers talking about how they had found the woman stranded on the street outside and in a lot of pain and so they had brought her in. The woman's condition was critical and there was not much time for an alternate arrangement. Meanwhile, Abraxas was throwing up a ruckus about a Malfoy being saddled in the same room with a muggle.

"We gave both gave birth at precisely the same minute and within seconds, both babies were handed to another healer who took them outside the room to be cleaned. I was given a potion that knocked me out almost instantly. A few hours later, I woke up to another chaos. Apparently, when your grandfather saw the healer coming out two babies, he thought I had given birth to twins, completely forgetting about the other woman who had given birth as well. He used to wear the Blood Changer around his neck at that time so when he touched the babies; the non magic baby received the magical touch from it."

"Oh Merlin! I don't believe this!" hissed out Hermione.

"He soon learned about his mistake because the locket on his chain vanished and immediately, he set out it brew the detecting potion to find out which baby the Blood Changer had transferred itself into. He did not listen to the Healers who told him that it was the boy baby who was the Malfoy and the girl baby was a muggle. You grandfather had to make sure himself."

"We brought Draco home and Abraxas tested out the potion on the baby. The potion did not detect the Blood Changer so my baby was definitely a Malfoy. But the Blood Changer was no longer in possession of us. And Abraxas took this secret to his grave." Narcissa finished.

"What happened to the muggle woman?" Draco asked.

"Her memory was modified that very night and she and her baby were transferred to a muggle hospital. Your grandfather never told me her identity, so we still cannot be sure if it really was Hermione's mother."

"So we need to make the detecting potion again," Hermione said determinedly, "can you tell us how to make it?"

***

Two days later, Draco and Hermione stood in the kitchen before a steaming cauldron of a pale and swirling silver potion.

"There, I think we have got it right finally." Said Draco, flicking away drops of sweat from his forehead. Hermione stared at his bent head waiting for him to look up at her. But he did not. It had been like this since they had come back from their visit with Narcissa and Andromeda.

Hermione could not figure out what was wrong with him. For the last two days, he had hardly spoken to her at all, throwing himself completely into the task of preparing the potion, needing little assistance form her. He had more or less completely avoided looking in her eyes and Hermione did not know why. She was hurt and frustrated by his attitude and frankly, if it hadn't been for the fact that Ameera kept her constantly occupied, Hermione would have gone crazy with worry.

But now, it was midnight and the baby was fast asleep. Draco turned his back to her to wash his hands in the sink. Another impending task loomed before them because now came the time for Hermione to undress herself completely so that Draco could see where the potion detected the Blood Changer in her body.

"Alright, now, take off your robes and drink the potion." Draco said tersely with his back still to her."

Hermione swallowed nervously and he must have heard it because he said, "Uh, I could get out of here if you want me to…"

Hermione watched the muscles in his shoulders bunch up tensely. The air around them sizzled with heat and anticipation. Suddenly, Hermione found herself calm again and almost smiled because she could see that Draco wasn't as nonchalant about the situation as he appeared to be.

"No, Draco. I want you to stay," she said slowly slipping her dark robes from her shoulder. The cloth fell around her feet leaving her completely naked. With a wave of her hand, she turned off the dim light in the kitchen, walking towards the window so that she was submerged in silver moonlight.

She gulped in a cup of the potion and felt the liquid trickle down her throat, leaving behind a trail of cool sensation that seemed to settle in her heart. She felt her body become feather light as if she would be air borne any second. Blinding white light burst in her eyes making her gasp loudly.

"Draco," she said in a shaky voice, "I think something's happening to me."

***

Draco took in a swift breath of air as he gazed mesmerized at the sight that greeted him.

Hermione, in all the glory that he had ever imagined her in. Hermione, pale and naked and lit up by the moon. The soft silver rays danced on her skin erotically and he was suddenly angry at the darkness that kept parts of her beautiful body hidden in shadows. His eyes traveled up the slim, long legs, the highlighted thighs that looked so soft and inviting. Her womanly core was in shadows but her slightly rounded belly caught the moonlight once again. His eyes sought out the soft peaks thrusting out of her body proudly, begging to be loved and caressed.

Now, his gazed settled on the place right in between her chest from where a spot of white light emerged. He could feel her gaze on him as he approached her, as if in a trance, to place his palm over that light, trapping it with his fingers. Even as he watched, the light slowly ebbed away until he could no longer see the glow trying to escape from between his fingers.

He started to remove his hand when, in a swift movement, Hermione trapped it in place with her own. He could feel her heart beat race up against his palm as his own heart followed a similar reaction.

And still he did not meet her eyes.

He kept his eyes closed when Hermione wound her arms tightly around his neck, drawing her naked body flush against his and put her lips on his. He wrapped his hands around her waist, kissing her back feverishly, hungrily. She pushed him back on a chair, straddling his lap and plunged her small hands into his hair. Her actions left no doubt to her intentions. She wanted him. She wanted tonight to be theirs only. Even as she was whispering the words in his ears, Draco achingly pulled back.

The sheer strength that it took to pull away from this temptation almost caused him to stagger but he knew that this body that he still held so preciously had been abused beyond belief and he had been a part of the abuse. It did not feel right that he should be able to claim this body so easily. It seemed barbaric to take advantage of Hermione like this. He had sworn to himself that he would only take her when she had given her whole heart to him.

For the second time that night, he turned away from her. But this time Hermione was having none of it. She made him face her roughly, burning him with the intenseness of her dark gaze. She cupped his face in her hands forcing him to look into her eyes as she whispered fiercely, "Look at me, dammit, look at me!"

***

And he did. He slowly drew up the girly lashes and trapped her dark gaze in his misty ones.

Guilt screamed in his eyes vibrating through Hermione spasmodically. "Oh Draco!" she moaned clutching his head to her chest. Now she understood. It had been a mask. He had not shown any emotion that day to her tale of imprisonment because he had felt directly responsible for what had happened to her and it had torn him apart inside. This was why he had been distancing himself and had not dared to look at her.

"Hermione, baby, I am so sorry…I am so sorry…" his voice came muffled against her neck and Hermione tightened her hold on him as she stroked his head.

"Draco, you have more than made up for it, darling." She said gently. "You have protected me and my baby, you have kept us safe, you have offered to marry me and be a father to my child. I don't know how I can ever repay you for all this."

He shook his head without saying anything and instead kissed the soft flesh of her breasts where his head lay nestled. Hermione shivered in longing.

"Make love to me, Draco," she pleaded, "let's give each other everything that we both need to heal ourselves."

He groaned and pushed her away to get up from the chair. "No." He said firmly. "Not until you get over your fear. I can't bear to have you look at me like I am your rapist again."

"You promised me you'd help me, Draco."

"I will-"

"Then let me sleep in your bed tonight. We don't have to do anything. I just want to sleep in your arms."

He stared at her for the longest time and then finally took her hand in his and led her to his dark bedroom. She scrambled on his bed and watched him take off his t shirt and leave only his cotton trousers on. He joined her on the bed, pulling the covers over their bodies and taking her in his arms. Soothed by the rhythmic beats of his heart, Hermione fell into the most peaceful sleep in more than a year.

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading. Please review!**

**Do you think my Draco seems out of character? Am I making him too much of a nice guy? Let me know so that I can correct him. Thanks!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N- Hello my dears! I am so glad that all of you like my characterization of Draco. Thank you so much for your opinions. **

**Thanks a lot to jessirose85, my wonderful beta. **

**Disclaimer- All these chapters and I still don't own Harry Potter. Sigh…**

Yes, Hermione drifted away into a deep, dreamless sleep but Draco lay awake late into the night, holding her thin naked form to his own shirtless chest. It was sweet torture and painless agony.

Towards dawn, Hermione stirred and turned over, snuggling her bum into his crotch. With a groan, he buried his face in her neck and with his lips parted slightly, he dragged them sideways, very slowly, barely touching, over the curve of her shoulder and back. He repeated the blissful motion, experiencing the silkiness there, over and over again until his lips tingled. Then his mouth opened more, then closed just a little, still with only his lips, moving in an imitation of a kiss. His mind was delightfully silent. She was forbidden fruit. Illegal. Unthinkable to the degree that she never even existed in the world of possibilities. And this taboo drove him further. Slowly, tentatively, he nudged just the tip of his tongue out to taste her. He groaned internally. She was warm and silky and her taste was wholly her own.

He scraped his teeth lightly over her shoulder. God, he wanted to bite her. To sink down into her flesh. No. This had to stop. Fuck!

She moaned, then, a long, throaty, and drawn out sound that brought him back to reality. He stopped abruptly, his mouth open on her, teeth just barely sunk into her skin. Fuck! _Fuck!_

He groaned and rested his forehead against the small shoulder he had just attacked. He let out a heavy sigh. She hadn't moved and was still breathing deeply. Draco lay there for many long minutes, his forehead on her shoulder and willing his erection down.

Draco woke up to the taste of soft, sweet lips and shy nips on his own. Keeping his eyes shut, he kissed back, tugging and pulling playfully at Hermione's mouth, his tongue darting into its delicious wetness. His heart clenched a he thought longingly about waking up every morning just like this.

Outside of this little lover's nest and in the world of harsh reality, the sun had not yet risen. The sky still held a hint of the night's darkness. It was like an omen because even the beauty of the colorful breaking of dawn could not hide the fact that soon, darkness would become permanent and happiness, a long lost dream in man's life.

The pink and orange glow against the curtains soon turned to the brilliant glare of daylight, drenching the lovers in the bed with its golden rays. Lover's who still who had no knowledge about each other's feelings but who kept looking for every excuse to be together rather than expose their true emotions. And as the sun rose, so did embarrassment. What had seemed tender and romantic in the shelter of the night's shadows now did not make any sense.

What could have possessed her to throw herself all over Draco like that last night, thought Hermione as she left a sleeping Draco in bed and went to shower. As cool water cascaded down her face, she closed her eyes recalling the night events. A cold chill, that had nothing to do with the water now sloshing down her back, ran up her spine. She could vaguely remember the way he had feasted on her neck when he thought she was asleep. Hermione smiled. Her neck seemed to be a particularly favorite spot of his. And suddenly, it was her favorite too. Wasn't that strange, she thought as she slid her hand up her collar bone to her neck imagining him touching her like that. Images of him cuddling her naked body against his hard, muscled chest filled her mind. His gestures had been as tender as they had been arousing. But she had held herself back because she was still unsure about her reactions to anything physical and she could not bear to see the hurt in his eyes when she pulled back from him in a moment of fright.

A strange lump settled in her throat as she realized that Draco was obviously trying to replace the nightmarish memories of her imprisonment for which he held himself responsible, with new beautiful and achingly sweet ones. Who would have thought that Draco Malfoy would one day do something like this for her.

But Hermione knew that whatever he was doing for her was because of his own guilt and probably also because he pitied her. Hermione hated it but surely this had to be the case. And this was why she just could not afford to even think that everything he did for her was because she meant something to him. She could not let her feelings go to that dangerous territory. She could never open her heart to that sort of heartache again.

Feeding Ameera her morning bottle, Hermione went to the kitchen to tend to her own food and Draco's food.

He was already sipping coffee in a relaxed manner when she entered.

"Morning." He said pleasantly. Hermione's heart warmed at the sight of his eyes that were clear and completely unguarded for the first time.

"Uh, yes good morning." She said awkwardly, quickly turning away from him to rummage the cabinets for breakfast.

From the comers of her eyes, she saw Draco smirking as he watched her nervously making sandwiches.

"Hermione," he said after a pause with a hint of laughter in his voice. "We haven't even had sex yet and already you have the morning- after jitters?"

The knife in her hand slipped and she blushed violently. She was sure he could see the red flush rising up her neck. For some reason, this made her temper flare up suddenly.

"We are low on food supplies." She gritted out harshly.

He only laughed and walked up to her, taking her hand in his. Hermione looked down and the sight of their entwined fingers and the warmth that seemed to flow from his hand to heat up her own body was suddenly very frightening to her. Jerking her hand free, she ran to her own bedroom and closed the door, breathing heavily and trying to stop unexplainable tears. All the time she tried to block out Draco's hurt expression as she had left him.

***

Days passed by. There was no more attack on the Manor. Severus Snape was feeding Voldemort new stories of Hermione and Draco's whereabouts each week. They were apparently hiding out in some eastern country, Snape told Voldemort. Voldemort had made the mistake of entrusting this important task of finding Hermione Granger to his most devoted follower. Snape in turn assured Voldemort that he had come across them a few times but they had slipped away. But time was definitely running out and Draco and Hermione knew this because it was only a matter of time before Voldemort started punishing Snape for his failures and after that the game would be over.

And so, tension was high in the dark, abandoned Manor. Draco had gone back to his old brooding, sulky manner. He had made no more advances towards Hermione, having leaned his lesson on the morning after spending the night with Hermione. He did not even try to figure out the reason behind her strange behavior. Who knew how the brain of the smartest witch of the generation worked. But it really was getting tiring that they couldn't open up to each other even a little without things getting awkward immediately afterwards.

He kept himself occupied with books or Ameera. And so did Hermione. But she made sure that their times did not clash. For example, when she occupied the library, Draco kept Ameera with him and vice versa.

The next excitement was Harry Potter and Ron Weasly's appearance at the burrow on Easter. Draco and Hermione both of course were invited to dinner with the Weasly's and other Order members. The anticipation of this event seemed to loosen Hermione up a bit. For one thing, she started talking freely to Draco once again. For hours, they discussed Voldemort's strategies, horcruxes and death eaters and the Ministry.

And then the long awaited day arrived.

***

**A/N- Thank you for reading. Please do review! **

**So, what did you think? **


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N- I am so, so sorry for the long wait. College assignments are piling up…**

**Disclaimer- JK will murder me if I claim Harry Potter as mine, no matter how much I want to. Therefore, only the plot belongs to me and nothing else. **

"Harry! Ron! Oh Merlin! I missed you so much." Hermione fell into the boys' arms sobbing hysterically as soon as she entered the Burrow. They patted her shoulder awkwardly. Harry's eyes held a strange moisture which he tried to blink away. Both looked scared though, as if an atom bomb was about to go off any second.

And of course Hermione obliged.

"You pathetic slimy pieces if shit!" she started bellowing as soon as she had gotten over her bout of emotion at seeing her best friends after so long. And now the anger claimed her like never before. "How could you do this to me? How in the fucking hell could you abandon your best friend like that? Did you wonder for once what was happening to me, did you come to my rescue? All those years I spent saving your butts, doing your stupid home works and Merlin knows what else and you don't even care whether I live or die? Do I mean nothing to you guys? I thought you were my bloody family! You foul evil little gits…"

Harry and Ron sighed in relief when Hermione stopped. Ron hugged her again and said meekly, "Bloody awesome to see to again, Hermione."

Hermione laughed as she pounded his chest.

And finally they seemed to notice presence that was Draco.

"Potter. Weasly." He said tightly.

"Malfoy, good to see you." Came Harry's cold reply.

Ron greeted him with a scowl and snapped. "Ferret."

"Really, Weasly, your pathetic attempt at insults agonizes me." Draco drawled looking down his nose arrogantly at the red head. "Do you have to use the same hackneyed insults like 'ferret' and 'git'? I mean, seriously, you get turned into a ferret once and _nobody_ lets you live it down."

Ron, who had started to turn purple and was flexing his fists dangerously said, "Eat hippogriffs, Malfoy."

"See, Weasly, there you go again with boring old terms that fail to do anything at all to my ego." Said Draco with a full fledged sneer. "Now, Weasly if you ever need lessons, you can come to me anytime. I won't charge, promise."

"Enough, Malfoy!" Harry intervened, holding off Ron who was ready to jump at Draco.

"Draco, stop pestering my friends." Ordered Hermione.

"He started it!" Draco replied childishly. Hermione rolled her eyes. Boys.

"And sop acting so immature, boys!" Hermione said to the bunch of them.

"Whatever you say, she-Voldemort." Draco mutter under his breath. To this Harry and Ron, sniggered comically.

Hermione was just getting ready for another outburst when Mrs. Weasley rushed in and enveloped her in a huge hug. "Hermione, dear child!" After that she was speechless as tears claimed her.

After a while, Mrs. Weasly turned to the boys and eyed them sternly, "you weren't fighting already, were you?"

"No, Mrs. Weasly." Said Harry and Draco together.

"No, mum." Said Ron.

"Well, come on then. Dinner's ready."

"Hey, wait a minute," cried Ron suddenly, "what in the bloody hell is that?" he asked pointing to Ameera's stroller form where a loud wail was heard.

Hermione picked up her baby. "This, everyone, is my daughter, Ameera Jane Granger soon to be Ameera Jane Malfoy."

It really was a wonder how Ron managed not to faint on hat very spot.

***

The next few hours passed pleasantly, if you ignored the shocked few moments that issued after Hermione announced her daughter and her engagement to Draco Malfoy.

The Weasly garden was packed with people. Long tables stood on the grass surrounded mostly by red heads and the other Order members. There was Fred and George pestering Draco. Lupin, Kinsley and Arthur were lost in an animated discussion. Tonks, Mrs. Weasly and Ginny were attached to Hermione. Percy was boring Ron and Harry with a detailed description of his new job. Charlie was discussing dragons with Hagrid. Bill, who had just arrived, went towards Harry and Ron to relieve them from Percy.

After the initial shock of Hermione's announcement, everyone had accepted her daughter and Draco. Draco, it seemed was already quite on good terms with most of the Order members already. They had all gotten busy with fussing over the baby, especially Molly. Hermione was grateful to them for not making things harder than they already were. She was glad that they had not asked for any explanation. But Hermione knew that at least Harry and Ron deserved to know the truth.

No sooner had she thought of this, when suddenly she heard Harry whisper in her ears to meet him and Ron in the house. Quietly, she slipped away to join the boys in Ron's bedroom.

"Hermione, tell us honestly, how are you?" Harry asked worriedly. "Where have you been this past year?"

"I am really alright, Harry. You won't believe this but Draco actually treats me and my baby very well. He has been keeping me safe." She assured.

"Hermione, you have to tell us everything." Ron said firmly.

So once gain, Hermione repeated the tale that she had told at Andromeda's home. She told them how Draco had found her and delivered Ameera. She told them about his wish to marry her.

"I couldn't say no to him. He loves Ameera very much." She finished, pleading with her eyes for the boys to understand.

Harry nodded. "We know he has changed. It's hard to accept this fact but it's true. Now that we can't be there to protect you, I guess Draco is the next best choice."

Ron on the other hand looked horrified. "Hermione, I can't believe you went through all that. It's just all so bloody wrong! And we couldn't do anything for you at all."

"But we never abandoned you, Hermione; never think that," said Harry putting an arm around her shoulder, "we did look for you. We never gave up. I guess Malfoy just got to you faster. I am just glad that you are alright."

"Thank you Harry, that means a lot." Hermione choked out, wiping a few tears. "Enough about me. Now tell me what you guys have been up to. How many horcruxes have you destroyed?"

"Boy have we been having an exciting time! Wait till you hear it, Hermione." Ron grinned.

The boys launched into the tale of their adventures of the past year.

"And the most outrageous thing is that the Ministry has passed this law about a muggle born registration commission." Ron said at the end, " Apparently, they are rounding up all muggle borns, claiming that magical blood can only be passed from wizard to wizard and those who cannot produce proof of at least one person with magical blood in the family, they have supposedly stolen magic."

Hermione gasped, "But Ron, that's insane! Surely people aren't letting this happen!"

"They have no choice, Hermione." Harry said softly, "it's already happening. Voldemort is ruling the Ministry now. We believe this is a new scheme to get to you. Or it maybe that Voldemort is having some doubts about you actually being in possession of the Blood Changer and that's why he is rounding up all the Muggle borns. But we do know that you are now officially the second most wanted person in the Wizarding world right after me."

Hermione got up and started to pace the small area frantically.

Harry shifted rather awkwardly now and said, " Hermione, there's something else you should know. I haven't said this to anyone because it didn't make sense before but now that I have seen Ameera, I am beginning to understand something."

"What is it, Harry? Is she in any danger?" cried Hermione fearfully.

Harry swallowed nervously, "Well, you told me that Voldemort knows about her. And I have been having these dreams, sort of visions, lately. I can feel his moods and thoughts. It feels as though his plans have shifted somewhat. I have these dreams about a baby… Hermione, I think Voldemort is targeting Ameera to get to you."

***

**Thank you for reading. Please review. You know I love your reviews! **

**For those of you who have read my other story 'I Hate To See You Cry', I have added a chapter to it and I am going to continue it for a while. So please check it out.**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N- So, so sorry for the long wait! The only excuse I have is midterms. But I have a juicy chapter for you. Hope you like it! **

**Disclaimer- Nope, I still do not own Harry Potter. I do wish Draco was mine though. Sigh!**

A mother, when it comes to her child, tends to make reckless decisions when any kind of danger befalls the child. She will think only about her child's safety and how long the child can be kept away from harm's way. A mother's emotion knows no logic, no rationality. And Hermione Granger, smartest witch of her generation, was no different.

All week, she had planned this moment. She needed to escape from the Manor. She needed to take her baby and flee as far away from the country as possible. She could not let Draco know of her intentions because he would only try to stop her with logic. But Hermione knew that at times like these, there was no space for logic and rationality. It was a time for survival only. She could not just calmly wait for Harry to finish off the horcruxes while hoping that Voldemort did not find her. That option was insane. And people were insane if they thought for one second that she would accept this.

***

Draco glanced at the closed bathroom door of Hermione's room and frowned. What was she doing in there for so long? It had been half an hour, hadn't it? As he rocked Ameera to sleep in her cot, he wondered about Hermione's behavior since she had come back from the Burrow. She had been jumpy all week. He wondered what was bothering her.

Making sure that the baby was asleep and tucked up well, he stood up to walk to his own room when a tentative voice stopped him.

"Draco?"

He went closer to the bathroom door and answered, "Yes."

"I am sorry to bother you," a pause accompanied by the splash of water, "but I failed to get a towel before I got into the tub. And I don't have my wand either. Now I can't get one without dripping all over the place. Would you," another pause, "come and hand me a towel?"

The image of Hermione in that tub surrounded by frothy bubbles bloomed before his eyes. He could smell the clean sweet smell of the fragrant water. Want speared through him, immediate and fierce. He braced his arms against the doorframe and summoned his crumbling resolve.

"Draco?" soft and sultry, her voice tugged at him.

"Yes." he rasped. His hand moved to the knob, gripped hard, ready to turn.

"The water's getting a little cold."

Draco pushed the door open. The warm moist air enveloped him with an irresistible fragrance as he stepped into the small room. His gaze riveted to Hermione reclining against the end of the tub in water just deep enough to conceal her breasts. She smiled lazily up at him, those brown eyes liquid with heat. All her curls were haphazardly pinned on top of her head. Several strands had fallen free and now clung to her damp neck.

Forcing his gaze away from the temptation, he took a towel and handed it to her. He felt himself growing hard with every minute.

Hermione suddenly sat up and wrapped her arms around her bent knees, but not before Draco got a gut wrenching view of her breasts, water and bubbles sliding over their fullness. Hermione nodded towards the washcloth hanging on the side of the tub.

"Would you mind washing my back?" she laid her cheek against her knees and closed her eyes.

Draco's hungry gaze moved over every delicious rise and hollow. The firm curves of her legs, the swell of her breasts where it was pressed against her thighs, the exquisite detail of her spine, and the lovely length of her neck. He knelt next to the tub and dipped the washcloth into the water. Slowly, he caressed the smooth skin of her back.

"Hmmmn, that feels nice." She moaned.

Fire flashed through his veins, heating him from the inside out. Again and again he traced her soft creamy skin.

"You can stop now." She said in a low throaty voice.

***

Hermione closed her eyes as soon as he was out of the bathroom. She shivered with need vibrating inside her. She had seen the look in his eyes, the hunger. How would she ever be able to see this through? She gave herself her a mental shake. She had to. One way or other. She had to get away from Draco's watchful protection. Firming her resolve, Hermione stood up from the tub, dried herself and donned on a thin bathrobe that reached mid thigh. The realization of how much she affected Draco made her giddy. But there was no time to dwell on that right now. She had to move swiftly before he suspected her motives.

Padding into her room, Hermione called to Draco once again, "Draco, could you get me a drink, please. I don't want to leave Ameera alone."

"Alright." He called back from his room.

Meanwhile, Hermione parted the robe a little to reveal her neck and collar bone and fluffed up her wet hair. She glanced at the mirror and smiled. This would do just fine.

Draco came into the room, a glass of oak matured mead in his hand. Hermione almost sighed out loud at the sight of him. She could spend the rest of her life just looking at him like this. His gaze so intent on her, a smoldering fire turning those silvery orbs a darker grey.

"Thank you," she managed without her voice quaking.

Hermione sipped from the glass and walked to the bed. She grabbed a body oil from the bedside table. With painstaking slowness and thoroughness, Hermione massaged the scented oil on her skin. She stole a glance at Draco's direction from beneath her lids, he was standing stock still. She caressed the thin bathrobe off from one shoulder to apply the oil on that area and saw his eyes darken at the exposed skin and the hint of cleavage.

"Hermione, what are you doing?"

Hermione shivered. He was right behind her. She bit back a smile of triumph. "I am bored, Draco," she said languidly. She turned to face him. His eyes immediately moved over her body, heating her skin as if he were touching her. "There's nothing to do in this place but talk. And I don't want to talk. This feels really good, the oil. Want to try it?" she added.

"Don't play games with me, Hermione." He warned in a distinctly tight voice.

Hermione allowed him a teasing smile. Sliding her hands up his chest, she whispered, "Games can be fun, Draco." She scrambled to her knees and then moved to the edge of the bed within easy reach of him. She snagged his hand in hers and tugged. He resisted at first but then allowed her to pull him a step closer. Hermione pressed a tiny kiss on his lips. "Don't make me beg, Draco." She murmured, her eyes searching his, urging him to react.

Surrender flared in those silvery depths. Draco cupped her face in his hands and pulled her mouth to his. His kiss was brutal, relentless. Too many feelings to name rushed through Hermione making her hot and needy. Her hands went up his chest and found their way under his sweater. The feel of his muscled body almost undid her completely. Hermione drew back but Draco stole another taste of her mouth before she escaped his reach. She tugged his sweater up and tossed it to the floor. She encircled his waist, removed his wand from his pocket and then pulled him to the bed above her.

His weight covered her making her weak with want. He lowered his mouth to her once more. His taste filled her, tempted her beyond all reason. Hermione fought to hold on to her sanity. Because the time to act was nearing.

Draco moved lower to nibble the column of her throat. Slowly, he parted the robe and each tender kiss took him closer to the pebbled peaks begging for his attention. She writhed underneath him, struggling to regain control until she lost it completely.

"I want to be on top." She whispered rolling above him to straddle his thighs. In the next move, she grabbed his wand form the table and muttered, "_ribbons immobilitate."_

At once, strands of red ribbon flew out of the wand to wrap themselves around Draco's limbs, tying his hands to the headboard.

Draco frowned, sitting up straighter and tugged at the ribbons. Hermione scrambled off him and pushed his wand underneath the bed well out of his reach. He shook his head slowly from side to side, having already deduced what she was up to.. Hermione felt certain she had never seen a look quite that dark, that intent. She rushed to put on a set of traveling robes and picked up her sleeping baby from the cot. Draco continued to watch her silently.

Gathering up the necessary things, she glanced back at him. "The ribbons will disappear in an hour. Please, Draco, I am doing the right thing. It's the only way. I am sorry."

Her own wand in hand, Hermione was ready to apparte when he spoke with artic chill in his voice, " Hermione, one hour. I will be free. And then I will come after you, "he paused giving her time to absorb the impact of his words, "you will regret this." He assured.

Hermione disappeared.

***

**Thank you for reading. Please review!**


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